LeBron James has everything — even the current NBA title — and while he has lots of people to thank, No. 1 on his list is always his mom. LeBron has more money than spring has pollen, but though LeBron has in the past bought his mom things like a new Porsche for Mother’s Day, it’s his 2014 gift that’s the most special. And this gift wasn’t even technically for Mother’s Day (a reminder that you can celebrate your mother any day of the year). LeBron wrote a 702-word essay honoring his mom and published it in The Shriver Report. He called it America’s Working Single Mothers: An Appreciation.
The best thing about this Mother’s Day present is that, yes, LeBron is writing about his special mom — Gloria James — but his feelings apply to hard-working moms everywhere, those making difficult sacrifices every day. He tells the story of his youth, about moving “around from place to place — a dozen times in three years.” It “was scary” but LeBron is the man he is today because, as he writes, “I knew one thing for sure: I had my mother to blanket me and to give me security.” This Mother’s Day you can learn a lot about what moms do, and how they help build exceptional character in difficult circumstances, by revisiting LeBron’s heartfelt essay. “You think LeBron James is a champion?” he writes. “Gloria James is a champion too. She’s my champion.”
