Sexy
Brothaman Contest for A Love of My Own
Wanda Gardner's
essay on runner-up Maurice Gardner
When life has dealt you
a hand that leaves a little bit to be desired, you wish all you
had to do were cry out "spadeless hands go back" but in reality,
we just deal.
My nephew has endured pain
that no one should ever have to endure; the life of his five-year-old
brother and his grandfather, my dad, were abruptly taken from us
all within a couple of years of each other and ow his other grandfather,
my stepfather, has been diagnosed with cancer. He has had to maintain
excellent academics and chooses to maintain excellence in athletics
while bearing all of this pain. As we all well know, it is painful
enough just being a black man in this world aside of unexpected
and unforseen personal tragedies.
When you ask
Maurice what he wants for his birthday or Christmas, his humble
and sincere reply is always "nothing really", so for someone who
asks for nothing should receive something. Not a day goes by that
he doesn't shed a tear for his only brother and grandfather; I think
this is why he deserves to be nominated.
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