Michael Jackson was 35 years old. He had never put up a Christmas tree. He had never blown out candles on a birthday cake. Why?
What kind of deep trauma was keeping him from celebrating the happiest days of the year?
The answer goes all the way back to his very strict childhood in Gary, Indiana. Michael was raised as a devout Jehovah’s Witness. His father, Joe Jackson, enforced very harsh, strict rules. In their religion, celebrating holidays and birthdays was completely forbidden.
Michael was robbed of normal, childhood magic. While other kids were unwrapping toys, Michael was working hard in the recording studio or knocking on doors to hand out religious magazines. He carried that heavy, strict trauma well into his adult life. He was afraid to break the rules.
The reason why Michael Jackson never celebrated Christmas
But in 1993, a beautiful miracle happened.
His dear, loyal friend, Elizabeth Taylor, decided she had seen enough. She knew Michael had a gentle, pure inner child that desperately needed to heal. She spent five long years gently convincing him that holidays were not evil. She told him Christmas was just a pure celebration of love.
When Michael finally agreed, Elizabeth went totally wild.
She transformed his Neverland Ranch into a massive, magical winter wonderland. She brought in a towering, gorgeous tree. She covered the house in bright, beautiful decorations. She wanted to give him the ultimate childhood experience he never had.
michael jackson home videos his first christmas and water fight
She bought him the perfect gift: bright plastic Super Soaker water guns! They immediately started a huge, playful water fight right inside the house. Michael was laughing like a little boy.
But the heavy childhood trauma did not just disappear.
The experience was incredibly overwhelming. Michael actually had to lock himself inside a bathroom to cry. He felt a deep, heavy guilt. He was terrified that he was doing something wrong by breaking the strict rules of his youth. But slowly, the warm love of his friends helped melt that fear away. He wiped his tears and finally embraced the joy.
From that beautiful day forward, Michael made sure to celebrate Christmas. He built a new, happy tradition. He made sure his own children never had to miss out on the magic of the holidays.
We all carry heavy scars and fears from our past. But it is absolutely never too late to reclaim your joy. You can always surround yourself with good friends, break out the water guns, and finally give yourself the beautiful, happy moments you truly deserve.