- Hey Steve.
- Hey. - I recently made a cross country move from South Florida here to L.A. And a few years ago, my mom was involved in a tragic car accident and passed away in the month of December. You know, with the holidays approaching, it always triggers emotions
just all over again. Being that I'm in a new city, fresh start, and no immediate family
here in L.A. with me, what advice do you have to help cope in the grieving process, as well as how to make new traditions with my new normal? - Well, I mean look, grief is real now. Don't make no mistake about it. I hate when people go. You know what you need to do? No, I don't know what I need to do. I'm grieving. - [Audience Member] Yes, yeah. - You know, I have when
people, you know when people? You ever lose somebody and people go, well they in a better place now. I always hated that. They said that when my mom passed. She in a better place now. No, the better place was she was upstairs in her rocking chair, watching TV. That was a better place for me. I don't know what you talking about. So, grief is real, you
gotta grapple with it. But, you want to find some new ways to get through the holidays. Do you have friends out here? - I do, I do have a network of friends. - So you gotta create a
new norm for the holidays. Have you ever put up a tree at your house? - No. - Yeah, why don't you start with a tree. Did you like Christmas trees
when you was growin' up? - I loved Christmas trees. - Yeah, see, that's me, I like. My house, all I want is a big tree. I want the same tree they
got down at the mall. (audience laughing) No for real, 'cause I
had to go to the mall to see a real Christmas tree. Our Christmas tree wasn't this big. There was an aluminum tree, we had lost so many sticks in it. (audience laughs) You remember the little wheel that turned with the red, yellow,
green, and blue on it? You remember that wheel? Two of them things had broke off (audience laughs) So it just go clear, blue. Clear, red. (audience laughs) Clear, blue. (audience applauds) Clear, red. So we go to the mall and the mall is where they had the tree that I loved 'cause the mall, the
trees at the mall was big. So at my house, I have a mall
tree in my house every year. That's for starters. Now, I want you to
celebrate you mom's life. 'Cause that's what I
had to learn how to do when I lost mine. I started celebrating her life. I started remembering all the great things she taught me. All the great moments we had. Because I was getting crushed, man, when my momma's passing
and then, you know, she passed somewhere around Christmas too, and it wasn't good man. So, I had to get past it, but you're gonna be fine in due time. It just takes time though. Ain't nobody really got no words. - Right, right. - Ain't nobody really got no words. They can try, most people
say the wrong thing anyway. I was just doing something. You all right? You gonna be okay? I know y'all was close. (audience laughs) Mmm, what you gonna do? I'm gonna keep waking up. I'm gonna keep going to work. I don't see how you gonna make it. I'm gonna make it! (audience applauds)
