WNBA star and queer mom Chelsea Gray has written a letter to her son for his second birthday, sharing the story of his family, reflecting on being a parent and pro athlete, and offering hopes and wisdom for later in life. It’s worth a read whether you’re an athlete, a fan, a parent, or any or all of the above.
“I know one day, when you’re older, you’ll start having questions—about me and your mom, about your life and your family. And I want to tell you everything,” two-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time WNBA champion Gray writes to son Lennox at The Players’ Tribune. She notes some of the things he likes to do right now and says, “There’s something so sweet about having a curious child and watching them find new things to love and enjoy—that might be the best part of being a parent.”Â
She also shares the story of how she and Tipesa met, dated, and got married, and explains, “It wasn’t always easy to be yourself for people like me and mama.” She hopes that “the world you grow up in is more open-minded than the one I grew up in.” She talks, too, about how she and Tipesa became godparents to former teammate Candace Parker’s (and spouse Anna Petrakova’s) son Airr, and asked Parker in turn to be Lennox’s godmom.
She’s seen many changes for parents in the WNBA in the 12 years since she was drafted, she says, observing, “All the moms in the league, whether they carried or not, you know who they are because you can see the balancing act from afar—all the complex pieces that go into being a mom and a pro.” She admits, “It’s a lot,” but insists, “I never thought about not bringing you along. I always knew I wanted you to be a part of it.” She discusses having helped to pioneer the new Unrivaled league, and how winning the latest Unrivaled 1-on-1 contest was “even more special because you’re courtside, cheering me on.”Â
She muses, too, that although she has no immediate plans to retire, she hopes that her legacy is to have helped the next generation of players “get to be louder, bolder, more authentic in every way.”
“At the end of the day, I just want what every parent wants—for my child to have a better experience than I had. I just think it’s pretty damn cool for you to be around so many other amazing women athletes and their kids,” she asserts.
Go read her full letter for more of her thoughts and hopes for Lennox; I’ve just touched on the outlines of what she says. I then encourage you (and me, too) to write similar letters to our own children (or record our thoughts on a video), no matter how old they may be, and even if we never share them with anyone but our children. As Gray notes, time goes by fast. A letter can’t capture everything, but may be one way to pass on some wisdom and love. Thanks to Gray for sharing some of hers not only with Lennox, but with all of us.