My mom was a model. She met my dad when he was building the Ritz-Carlton in Colorado and she was modeling there. Although we were very blessed, my parents never wanted us to believe we didn't have to work. They didn't want us to think that our situation would get us through life.
I'm sure there were times when I wish I had thought, 'Gosh, that might really embarrass mom and dad,' but our parents didn't raise us to think about them. They're very selfless and they wanted us to have as normal of a college life as possible. So really, we didn't think of any repercussions.
I study once in a while. But my parents never pushed us into anything. Until we were 18, my mother would make us go with her to Kingdom Hall, and when we turned of age, she let us choose what we wanted to.
My mother was very passionate about life and she would do anything for us. And she had to fight alone to raise us. We never had a lot of money for extras or anything. She had to work six days a week, and then she would do breakfast, lunch and dinner. She was a super-woman! For me, I don't know how she did it with three kids.
What makes Mom the best is that she never put any expectations too high on the kids. She just wanted us to be doing the things that made us happy, as long as we were working hard, but we never had to live up to something.
My mom liked to have us travel in first class with her. She's like, 'I work for my money, and I want my kids to live a certain kind of way.' My dad used to get so mad at my mom for flying us first class. So it was a clash on that.
We were pretty fortunate that we lived in a very supportive household, so our mom and dad, they didn't care what we did. They just wanted us to do something. Whatever we're passionate about, they would support us.
My mom would never let us quit. She always taught us the importance of sticking with it, even when times are tough. We didn't just hear her, we watched her. I know what to do because she led the way. She showed us that if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish the world. No matter where you're from and what you're up against.
I was spoiled growing up. My dad would really spoil us. He would bring us to high-end stores and ask us to please try on those clothes. He'd make us try on all the pretty clothes, modeling like that... He liked dressing us up, my dad and my mom they loved dressing up.
My dad was always at work running a business, so our mom really took care of us. She'd bring us all to our practices, and we all basically played four sports: baseball, hockey, football, and basketball.
I really want to be like my mom in some ways, because I already take a lot after her already. I really like the way she treats us and disciplines us, and I think that she's just great because of how she's balanced us and all of that.
The only time we got sugary cereal was when my mom went away for the weekend and she bought us Frosted Flakes because she wanted us to behave. Otherwise, we were eating shredded wheat, granola, or Grape Nuts.
I would have never dreamed that my career would be this successful. I grew up in an average home in Barbados, and we didn't live in the best neighborhood. But I was never aware that we were poor; my mom never made us feel that way. She loved me unconditionally. She made us feel anything was possible and instilled in me such confidence.
My parents never pressured us. I didn't even know how good my mom and dad were until someone told us.
Mom would pack our lunch and send us off with no supervision. There were enough of us so that if she lost a few, there would still be plenty left.
My mom was a professional. My dad and mom met each other in a movie called 'New Faces of 1937.' My mom went under the name Thelma Leeds, and she did a few movies, and she was really a great singer, and when she married my dad and started to have a family, she sang at parties.
I just feel so blessed to have had the time that I had with my mother. She made it so impactful in terms of how she raised me and my little brother, the values that she instilled in us, the way she inspired us, and how she lived her everyday life.