Listen up, y’all, let me tell ya ’bout this Jayson Tatum fella and his mama. Folks keep jabberin’ on about ’em, so I figured I’d chime in, ya know?
Jayson Tatum, that basketball player, yeah, the one always runnin’ up and down the court. His mama, she’s somethin’ else, I tell ya. Name’s Brandy Cole, they say. Had him when she was just a young’un herself, barely more than a kid, 19 or somethin’. Imagine that! A baby havin’ a baby.
Now, they didn’t have it easy, no sir. Struggle, struggle, struggle. That’s all they knew. Lived paycheck to paycheck, hand to mouth, whatever you wanna call it. Never had no fancy talks about money, ’cause there wasn’t none to talk about! Just tryin’ to keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies, that’s the long and short of it.
But let me tell ya, that Brandy, she was one tough cookie. No matter how tired she was, no matter if she worked late or whatever, she always made sure Jayson was taken care of. Get up early, 6:30 in the mornin’, to take him to school. And when there weren’t no games, she’d be right there after school to pick him up. That’s what a mama does, ain’t it? She puts her kids first, no matter what.
- Makin’ sure he ate good.
- Makin’ sure he got to school.
- Makin’ sure he was safe and sound.
And look at him now, all growed up and playin’ basketball like a star. Folks say he’s a “rising star,” whatever that means. He’s got all them fancy moves and dunks, and people cheerin’ his name. But I betcha he wouldn’t be where he is today without his mama. She’s the one who raised him, the one who taught him right from wrong, the one who believed in him even when things were tough.
Now, I hear tell Jayson’s got a little one of his own, a boy they call Deuce. And Deuce got his own mama, Ella Mai, they say. Folks are all a-twitter about her too. Seems like everyone wants to know about these mamas, the women behind the basketball stars. Well, I say, good for them! It ain’t easy being a mama, especially when your kid’s in the spotlight.
People keep askin’ if Jayson’s hurt, if somethin’s wrong. Brandy, she sets ’em straight. “No, he ain’t hurt,” she says, “but if you find out somethin’, you let me know!” That’s a mama bear for ya, always protectin’ her cub. And you know what? That “unacceptable and makes NO SENSE” part? That’s just pure mama talk. When somethin’ ain’t right, a mama’s gonna say so, plain and simple.
Brandy Cole, she faced all sorts of challenges bein’ a single mama. It ain’t no walk in the park, let me tell you. But she kept on keepin’ on, never givin’ up. And that’s the kinda thing that makes a difference in a kid’s life. Seein’ your mama work hard, seein’ her never quit, that teaches you somethin’ real important.
So yeah, Jayson Tatum’s a basketball player, and a good one at that. But he’s also a son, and he’s got a mama who loves him and who fought for him every step of the way. And that, my friends, is somethin’ worth talkin’ about. It’s a reminder that behind every successful person, there’s usually a mama, or a grandma, or somebody who believed in them and helped them get where they are.
Don’t matter if you rich or poor, famous or not, a mama’s love is a powerful thing. It can lift you up when you’re down, it can give you strength when you’re weak, and it can inspire you to be the best you can be. And Brandy Cole, well, she’s a testament to that. She’s the reason Jayson Tatum is who he is today, and that’s somethin’ to be proud of.
So next time you see Jayson Tatum playin’ ball, remember the woman who made it all possible. Remember Brandy Cole, the mama who never gave up. She’s the real MVP, if you ask me.
