Wonder Woman

Dear Mom,

You are my hero! There are so many times I sit back and wonder how you do it. Being a single mother, working, and supporting each of your kids dreams, only someone with special powers can do something like that. Growing up was tough. Coming from a place where it is easier to join a gang than it is to join a after school program, you were the one who kept me focused and protected me as a kid. I am forever grateful for that.

You are my best friend. you are the only person that believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself. I remember when I wanted to quit and come back home from prep school because it was a military school. I was homesick ,had a hard time adjusting, and I wasn't playing good on the basketball team. When I would call you, we would talk about everything else besides what was happening in the present. We would only talk about the future. We would talk about being the first person in the family to go to college on a full ride, graduating, and doing great things despite coming from a poverished town. Little did you know that those conversations were enough to get me through the week.

Those conversations gave me the courage and foresight to keep pushing through. After a few months, I finally adjusted and started to flourish. I was invited to play in the Jordan brand classic game and received a scholarship to Rutgers University!

I wouldn't have got into college without you. If it wasn't for you, I would have left prep school and came home to loads of trouble that a urban environment has to offer.

The time when I really found out you were invincible was when you had breast cancer my freshman year of college. That was one of the hardest times of my life because I thought that I was going to lose you forever. I didn't understand at the time why it was happening to you despite everything great you do for our family. There were day when I would be by myself and just cry. I would cry because I felt like I was dying too. Your pain was my pain too. But, I remember the day of your surgery to remove your tumor you told me " Don't worry Dj, everything is going to be alright. Just be strong for me'. I dug deep and prayed for everything to be alright.

After 4-5 hours, they were able to remove your tumor successfully! I was happy because they were able to get rid of it in time. Then, there was chemotherapy. It was hard to see you go through it. Losing your hair, throwing up sometimes, and sometimes too weak to leave the bed.

The days when I would worry about you, you would tell me to be strong and that it is a moment that would soon past. You told me to focus on school and basketball which in turn motivated you to get through the cycles. Once you completed your treatment, that’s when I truly knew nothing could stop you.

That same strength that I saw you display was the same thing that got me through college. The time came when I transferred from Rutgers to go to Saint Louis University and thing got hard for me. I had to get a hip arthroscopy surgery. I wanted to quit because I thought that I wouldn't be the same again. When I would facetime you, you would ignore all my negativity and only speak positivity into me. You would say how proud you are of me being in college and telling me how special I am. Even though I might have acted like I wasn't listening I was. I kept on fighting because I didn't want to let you down. Even though I wanted to quit, I would think about what you would want me to do and I would get right back on course. I remember my last year of college, I began to feel very depressed about what the future held for me. I wasn't sure that I was going to graduate, and I grew tired of basketball at the time. You were there for me every step of the way. You talked to me and texted me almost every day to make sure that I was okay. You even came out to my senior night despite me being in the middle of the country.

I was so happy that you came out. I thought that I was going to have to be alone, but you made sure that you were there front and center.

The most amazing moment was when the conference tournament came. It was in New York, so you made sure that you were at every game. We were a 6th seed and we weren't expected to win, but we were able to win 4 games in 4 days. We won the tournament and you were there front and center to be there apart of my achievement.

Winning the championship allowed us to play in the NCAA march madness tournament. But, our game was in San Jose, California. I didn't expect you to come out there because it was on the other side of the country and I was already excited to be apart of it anyway. But, in your own typical fashion, you surprised me and came to the game.

Even though we lost, you gave me the love for basketball again and the will to win in life. I went on to graduate from the prestigious Saint Louis University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication.

Soon after, I decided to play professional basketball in Portugal where I had a great first season.

I know that I may sound like I am talking about my achievements a lot, but I speak on them because I wouldn't be where I am without you. You give me the will to fight in life. You always tell me that "tough time don't last, people do". And that motto has yet to let me down yet.

You are my therapist. Anytime something bothers me, I know that I can come to you and talk to you about it without being judged. You are my idol because despite anything you go through, you always put your kids first. You are the most selfless person I know. I should've quit years ago, but you made sure that I stayed on course and got a degree and live out my dreams. I could be dead or in prison, but you gave me the motivation to beat the odds.I just want to say thank you mom and I love you. You are the best person in the world, you are my Wonder Woman!