Amy Schumer can be a divisive figure in entertainment. But whether you love her or hate her (or have no strong feelings either way), there’s no denying Schumer had an unusual childhood. Schumer’s family lost everything after declaring bankruptcy when she was still young. This loss was followed by another devastating blow when Schumer’s alcoholic father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The family further collapsed when Amy’s mother left her father for her father’s best friend. All this trauma has become fodder for Schumer’s stand-up act because sometimes if you don’t laugh, you’ll scream.
What could be seen as a kind of Dickensian upbringing has now received an appropriate ending. Yesterday, Schumer shared a video of her childhood on the farm her family lost when her parents were forced to declare bankruptcy. The short video showcases a young Amy in a cornfield declaring to her father (the cameraman) — as all kids do at some point — that she was running away from home. Schumer then shared the extraordinary news that she had bought the family farm back for her father, just in time for the holidays.
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Seriously, if this were a Hallmark movie, audiences would complain about such a saccharine schmaltzy ending. Yet — as this is reality and not fiction — it serves as a reminder that 2016 wasn’t a complete trash fire. Just like, 99.97% one. And really, in a year like this one, a reminder of humanity’s potential for kindness is the best gift of all.
