A Love Letter To Angel Reese From A Momma’s Pen
I was once you.
Noooo, I was not ever a top-notch athlete or a curator of a platform that stretches to millions of people.
But I was a 21-year-old at LSU. I was young and unsure of myself and trying to forge a path for my future. Social media was limited to primitive Facebook posts and MySpace. We still partied and danced, and I am glad pictures and videos were limited LOL. I was wearing a mask that I hoped would match the scene at the time. This is why I think I admire you so much because you are honoring both your authentic self and your needs, physically, emotionally, and mentally. This is something I did not learn to do until I was a wife and mother. You are far ahead of your time.
As a 30-something-year-old alumna of the greatest school on the planet, the mom in me is so aggravated with the space you do not get to figure it out.
At 21, I was able to get quiet or let something go, or quit, or even make mistakes without much pushback. My friends or maybe some folks who knew the girl in the sorority named Chas had opinions, but overall I could brush them off.
You, beautiful girl, do not have that luxury. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. And you wear it so well. I am in awe of how confident you are in yourself, regardless of the noise you hear from the media or other avenues, and your decisions are a reflection of that.
I hope you never lose the paradoxical nature that we have grown to know and love: feminine and loud, strong and soft, real and private, a hard worker and the life of the party.
You can be more than one thing at a time! You are layered and multi-faceted, and you do not fit in anyone’s box (even a basketball court).
Please know that the mama bear and Black girl in me is rooting for you. I am protective of you and your space to do and be whatever it is that will continue to allow you to make your mark. And even when you feel like the world is closing in and everybody has an opinion about you or your decisions, there is a full delegation of women like me ready to back you up and defend you with Twitter fingers (your momma named you Twitter so I’m calling you Twitter) or anything else you need to feel (and know) that we have your back.
I do not think it will get easier for you, my baby. I know the spotlight will continue to follow your every move and the naysayers, who probably would pass out if their 21-year-old lives were on full display at all times, will continue to be loud and wrong. But please know you are doing a phenomenal job, and you are paving the way for so many other little girls (and boys) to both be a good teammate and take care of themselves. For my children, who are Black boys and girls, who they are has been defined for them in so many ways. The mother in me wants to create a runway for their success and to give them the freedom to choose paths that are right for them. To be authentic and brave regardless of what anyone says. You are a masterclass on what this looks like, and I am so excited to see what other amazing things you will do.
