We are proud moms! - Mothers of entertainers say motherhood is the absolute best!

Motherhood is described as a journey that encapsulates the best of times and the worst of times. Many mothers have described raising children as the scariest yet most exciting thing they’ve ever done. With no manual available on how to tackle the challenges that come with being a mother, these women embrace the highs and lows while nurturing another human life.

As we celebrate Mother’s Day, The Sunday Gleaner salutes these selfless women for their unwavering support and their unconditional love. This year, we decided to focus on the women responsible for raising some of our most popular entertainers. They share their stories of an unexplainable mother-child bond that though tested and tried, was never broken.

Here are the stories of motherhood from these entertainer’s mothers

Pauline Williams, I-Octane’s mother

“I never wanted him to get into music because of all the things I used to hear – the badmind, the jealousy, the violence. I was scared for him. But when he decided this was what he wanted to do, I made peace with his choice and covered him in prayer. I prayed then when he just started out and I continue to pray. He always loved music and so even when that was not what I want for him, he was happy doing it and I had to support him. I love my son. In fact, I love all of my children. I have five of them and I never had any problems with them. I am very miserable and sometimes when I get mad, even now, they just calm me down with respect. The best thing about being a mother, for me, is seeing your children learn the things you tried to teach them. I am very proud of all my children and I thank God every day for giving me the strength to raise them. He was always there and through constant prayers, I now have some good children.”

Paulette Mitchell, Wayne Marshall’s mother

Mitchell, mother of recording artiste Wayne Marshall, revelled in some fond memories as she recalled the kind of child Marshall was. Describing Wayne Marshall as an all-round entertainer from he was a toddler, Mitchell said despite having her own ideas of a career path for her son, she knew Marshall was destined to be in the entertainment business.

“Wayne is my second son. I have two boys. My first son lives in the United Kingdom and I’m proud of them both, let me just start there. I must say from very early in Wayne’s life, he demonstrated a lot of personality traits that seemed to lead him towards the creative industries. He was always the one who loved people around – he loved to sing and dance and basically entertain, and make you have a good time. He was the one who when people come by for visits, they’d want to take him home with them because of how he related to them. I recognised that he was going in a certain direction, and when it came to the point where it was time to determine a career-at the end of high school when it was time to go to university – that was not his intent. That was a little disappointing at that point in time. It’s sort of difficult sometimes to come to grips with what your children want to do because you’ve already had some expectations of what you want them to be in terms of traditional careers and so on, but he really didn’t have the energy for anything else other than music. I realised that I couldn’t change his love for what he was doing, and so I had to respect it, and I did. I then hoped that he would demonstrate the kinds of values we tried to instil in him, and I think that was done successfully. He remains someone whose music transcends various age groups. He continues to produce clean and conscious music, and I am proud of him. I don’t see how he could have chosen any other way. Music is the most fulfilling thing that he does. He has my full support in everything that he does.

Pansy Nesbeth, D’Angel’s mother

“I raised all my girls to be independent, and Michelle was no different. She is the second to last of nine children and she was a good child, never gave me any problem. She always knew what she wanted and she went for it. She used to enter singing competition from the age of 12 in and around her community. She sang in church, school, everywhere she got a chance to. When she decided to do music professionally, I wasn’t surprised because it’s in her blood. At one point when it became over bearing on her, I told her to choose a different career because she has eight subjects. But she insisted she had to fulfil her dreams so I had no choice but to stand by her. I raised her to fight for what she believed in, and to never give up. Michelle always makes me proud.

“I gave Michelle all the necessary tools she needs to raise her son, and she’s doing a great job. As a first time mother, I was with her every step of the way and still am even now that Marco is 12, and especially when she goes overseas. She knows Marco is safe with me. Family support is very important. She still ask me for advice and I admire that. We have a close mother/daughter relationship. She can come to me for anything and I will be there for her.”

Shirley Brown Hines, Sophia Brown’s mother

“She was never a child that listens. She was a tom-boy basically and nothing could control her. She was a wild child so to speak. Sophia or Sophie as I would called her, was the child that you wanted and the same time you don’t want her. She would do the opposite of what you tell her if it’s something she felt strongly about, but she was always respectful. She always let you know that she understands that you are in control. I could not imagine my life without her being a part it. She is my second child, first girl of my eight children. She loved to sing and as she became older, I realised that she was going to be in the music business. The first time I heard her on the radio, I was so proud knowing she stuck to what she said she wanted to do. She’s grown now and has her own children and she did well raising them. I see how much she loved and cared for them, and that’s why when she used to go on the road for work when they were younger, I had to help her with her kids. Being a working mother myself, I had to leave her with my mom when I had to work.”