An Open Letter to Gloria PittsAn American Mother
"#Iremember Breaking my curfew nightly coming home drunk worrying my mother to death...Smh!"What do I say to the woman that instilled the core values in me and made me everything that I am today. This is the same women who taught me how to pray every night and read my bible continuously. This women taught me how to wipe myself and bath properly. She taught me the words "Yes ma'am" & "Yes sir", words even to this day I can't part from. This is the same exact women who kept me in church when all of my friends were hanging out in the streets. What do I say to the women that raised four boys to be four distinguished gentlemen as well as family men. I'm not exactly sure what to say to the same women that visited the elderly in the nursing homes and took them to church in the same Oldsmobile that I used to take my dates out to the movies in. Smile. All I can say Mom is, I Love You to death even though I don't spend as much time with you as I should. I will always Love You even beyond the day GOD calls us home. *Tears*
Born Gloria Ann Griffin to Suzie Mae HIll & Grandaddy William "Billue" December 30th, 1953. She was raised by her aunt Allee & Uncle Fred right over there in Pleasant Hill, Macon Georgia to be exact. My mother was one of 8 kids. Although I don't know much about her childhood I will say that she met my father and started dating circa '71. Shortly afterwords they had my "egg-headed" brother Rick (He's gonna laugh). The new family moved to Lowe Street in the central part of Macon, Georgia. Things must have been great for the new family or so the smiles in the pictures would tell it.
Fast forward to '76 when another child was born. Now this was my fathers 3rd child and my mother's 2nd, but for some reason I was given the name Donald G. Pitts II (my dad's name). I was born a curly headed hazel-eyed vibrant little something. I have fond memories of sort of being close to my mother but later drifting to being a daddy's boy. Times past and more kids filled the Pitts family nest. The stork later brought my (knot headed) younger brothers John & Daniel. Collectively, Rick, myself, John, & Daniel were all inseparable. My mom kept us close to GOD by making us attend church what seemed like every single day, but more like Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, & Sunday. I didn't know it then but she was instilling a core value that would never leave me called "The Word". This core value would be critical in thousands of sticky situations later.
I can remember in the second grade, my mom had to come to the school to speak with my teacher Mrs. Graves because I was drawing comic books for my classmates and selling them. I think I got my a** tore up for that. I was quite the entrepreneur even then. As a teen fast approaching sixteen my mom was out one day at West Gate Mall in a Dollar Store and spoke to a man who later gave me my first paying job. My mom allowed me to carry a pager shortly after getting my job, and I could remember her beeping me to death when I used to keep her car. My mom and I had more like a sister and brother and relationship the older I got. I remember Breaking my curfew nightly coming home drunk worrying my mother to death (Shaking my head).
After graduating, I ventured off to Art School (SCAD) in Savannah away from family. Here is where all of my core values and life skills were put to the test. The ever presence of Fast Money, Drugs and Alcohol were more than enough to temp a young spirit like myself. The days of being close to "The Word" was a keeper during my days of school. As much as I hated going to church back in the days, I can truly appreciate it now. Many of my friends are now Dead, Locked-up, or roaming the streets as a shell of what the Devil left them.
My mother once asked me, "Did I fail as a parent?" I wanna answer that question for her now for all of my subscribers to read. Mom, rich or poor, the true success of a parent is measured by how they've raised their children. I also want to say that you're more successful as a parent than you know, because you've raised four boys to become successful men, fathers, brothers, business owners, mentors, pillars of the community, and most importantly men of "The Word". MOM YOU ARE A SUCCESSFUL PARENT - We LOVE YOU and always have and always will.
Born Gloria Ann Griffin to Suzie Mae HIll & Grandaddy William "Billue" December 30th, 1953. She was raised by her aunt Allee & Uncle Fred right over there in Pleasant Hill, Macon Georgia to be exact. My mother was one of 8 kids. Although I don't know much about her childhood I will say that she met my father and started dating circa '71. Shortly afterwords they had my "egg-headed" brother Rick (He's gonna laugh). The new family moved to Lowe Street in the central part of Macon, Georgia. Things must have been great for the new family or so the smiles in the pictures would tell it.
Fast forward to '76 when another child was born. Now this was my fathers 3rd child and my mother's 2nd, but for some reason I was given the name Donald G. Pitts II (my dad's name). I was born a curly headed hazel-eyed vibrant little something. I have fond memories of sort of being close to my mother but later drifting to being a daddy's boy. Times past and more kids filled the Pitts family nest. The stork later brought my (knot headed) younger brothers John & Daniel. Collectively, Rick, myself, John, & Daniel were all inseparable. My mom kept us close to GOD by making us attend church what seemed like every single day, but more like Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, & Sunday. I didn't know it then but she was instilling a core value that would never leave me called "The Word". This core value would be critical in thousands of sticky situations later.
I can remember in the second grade, my mom had to come to the school to speak with my teacher Mrs. Graves because I was drawing comic books for my classmates and selling them. I think I got my a** tore up for that. I was quite the entrepreneur even then. As a teen fast approaching sixteen my mom was out one day at West Gate Mall in a Dollar Store and spoke to a man who later gave me my first paying job. My mom allowed me to carry a pager shortly after getting my job, and I could remember her beeping me to death when I used to keep her car. My mom and I had more like a sister and brother and relationship the older I got. I remember Breaking my curfew nightly coming home drunk worrying my mother to death (Shaking my head).After graduating, I ventured off to Art School (SCAD) in Savannah away from family. Here is where all of my core values and life skills were put to the test. The ever presence of Fast Money, Drugs and Alcohol were more than enough to temp a young spirit like myself. The days of being close to "The Word" was a keeper during my days of school. As much as I hated going to church back in the days, I can truly appreciate it now. Many of my friends are now Dead, Locked-up, or roaming the streets as a shell of what the Devil left them.
My mother once asked me, "Did I fail as a parent?" I wanna answer that question for her now for all of my subscribers to read. Mom, rich or poor, the true success of a parent is measured by how they've raised their children. I also want to say that you're more successful as a parent than you know, because you've raised four boys to become successful men, fathers, brothers, business owners, mentors, pillars of the community, and most importantly men of "The Word". MOM YOU ARE A SUCCESSFUL PARENT - We LOVE YOU and always have and always will.;)
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