She’s already a world tennis champion umpteen times over, but it seems Serena Williams is also quite the wordsmith.
The brand new mum has taken to Reddit to share an emotional (and important) letter addressed to “the strongest person” she knows – her own mother. And it’s about to hit you right in the feels.
In between changing nappies and nuzzling with her newborn daughter, Alexis Olympia, Serena Williams has somehow managed to find the time to also release her inner writer.
And, going by the eloquent prose in Serena’s latest Reddit post, sleep deprivation and baby brain aren’t hurting Serena’s ability to string a sentence (or two) together.
Serena opens up
Accompanying the personal letter addressed to her mum, Oracene Price, is a side by side photo of Serena and Alexis. As Serena points out, baby Alexis shares her mum’s “exact strong, muscular, powerful, sensational arms and body”.
Have a read of the letter below:
“Dear Mom,
You are one of the strongest women I know. I was looking at my daughter (OMG, yes, I have a daughter 😳) and she has my arms and legs! My exact same strong, muscular, powerful, sensational arms and body.
I’ve been called man because I appeared outwardly strong. It has been said that that I use drugs (No, I have always had far too much integrity to behave dishonestly in order to gain an advantage). It has been said I don’t belong in Women’s sports — that I belong in Men’s — because I look stronger than many other women do. (No, I just work hard and I was born with this badass body and proud of it).”
Mum’s the word
But what Serena really focuses on is her own mother’s ability to remain tight-lipped, especially when journalists, reporters and new agencies have made not-so-nice comments about Serena (and her siblings).
Because, let’s face it, being a mum brings out the beast inside us all, especially when someone badmouths our babies.
“Mom I’m not sure how you did not go off on every single reporter, person, announcer and quite frankly, hater, who was too ignorant to understand the power of a black woman,” Serena writes.
“You are so classy, I only wish I could take your lead. I am trying, though, and God is not done with me yet. I have a LONG way to go, but thank you.”
“Promise me you will continue to help”
It’s often been said that we don’t appreciate our own mothers until we become one ourselves. And Serena absolutely aces this notion as she concludes her letter:
“Thank you for being the role model I needed to endure all the hardships that I now regard as challenges–ones that I enjoy. I hope to teach my baby Alexis Olympia the same, and have the same fortitude you have had.
Promise me, Mom, that you will continue to help. I’m not sure if I am as meek and strong as you are yet. I hope to get there one day.”
Game. Set. Match.
The beautifully written letter comes less than three weeks after Serena and her tech fiancé Alexis Ohanian welcomed their first child via c-section on 2 September 2017.
Although she’s less than a month old, baby Alexis Olympia is already smashing social media and is well on track to becoming Instagram’s cutest baby.
The multitasking new mum also managed to set up an Instagram account for Alexis and the famous tot already has 54,000+ followers.
Not bad for a newborn.
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