DeNaire Washington, the oldest son who is recovering from what he calls a freak accident that left him hospitalized for months, sings his mother’s praise. “Mom has always put herself on the back burner for my brothers and me. When we were growing up, she was at all of our activities. Although she sacrificed for us so we could have the best; there were still house rules, and we had chores. Mom taught me to have respect, to show love, and values. She is a phenomenal woman. The relationship that I have with her is a blessing. I like women who are smart like my mom.”

Teary-eyed Veronica Guyton said, “I’m just so grateful that all of my sons are good men. When they were young, I felt that being a mother was everything and wanted to baby them. But I knew that they would someday be men, so they needed tough love. When they were growing up, my husband, Kim Guyton, the balance in our life, and I were a constant presence with our sons. Still, I worried about their safety. Our remedy was to keep them busy. They chose sports.
“My mother is the most loving, caring, honest person I know, said Darrell Bowie, Veronica’s middle son, and professional basketball player overseas. When people ask why I work so hard and where my work ethic comes from the simple answer is my mother! As I got older and traveled more playing basketball, she was always there even if she had to send a text message or FaceTime me to wish me luck before a game.”
“I didn’t trust them to be with everybody,” Veronica explains. When they were teenagers, our house was a gathering place for their friends. That was fine since we wanted to know who they were hanging out with. We dropped them off and picked them up from wherever they went.
Each of my sons is different. The older they got, the more I appreciated their individuality. DeNaire is loving and cuddly. Durrell is independent, smart, and way ahead of his time. Kimj, my youngest, is family orientated, appreciative, and always wants to get to the bottom of everything.
Kim J. Guyton, a medical lab assistant at Children’s Hospital and aspiring entrepreneur, my parents instilled a lot of good values. My mother is a lead by example type. She’s focused, organized, and super determined. My mother is tough. She can take a lot and still function. But I’m a daddy’s boy. Once I got to middle school, I realized how much my mother did. Growing up if my grades weren’t good, we had to earn what we got. Seeing what women are capable of from an early age made me and my brothers respect women. The most important thing my mom taught me is doing right by people, and doing things the right way. Dad taught me that you earn respect by giving respect, and also to stand up for my beliefs
“In September 2018, I was in Romania and suffered multiple stab wounds in what was officially deemed ‘a hate crime’. I went to the country as a professional basketball player with plans to stay a full-season with the La Cuza basketball club. I had been there for two weeks when me and some of my teammates decided to see the city one night. Long story short, we were in a fight. One of my teammates and I were injured. Within a couple of days, my mom was at my bedside, supporting me. This meant the world to me,” Darrell explained.
Reflecting on her life as a mother of three sons Veronica said, “People say women can raise sons by themselves, but it’s not easy. My advice to women raising sons is, do not be their friend. Be an example to them at all times. Be their mother, someone who has standards and values they can admire, not their equal.”
“My mother is the most loving, caring, honest person I know, said Darrell Bowie, Veronica’s middle son, and professional basketball player overseas. When people ask why I work so hard and where my work ethic comes from the simple answer is my mother! As I got older and traveled more playing basketball, she was always there even if she had to send a text message or FaceTime me to wish me luck before a game.”
“I didn’t trust them to be with everybody,” Veronica explains. When they were teenagers, our house was a gathering place for their friends. That was fine since we wanted to know who they were hanging out with. We dropped them off and picked them up from wherever they went.
Each of my sons is different. The older they got, the more I appreciated their individuality. DeNaire is loving and cuddly. Durrell is independent, smart, and way ahead of his time. Kimj, my youngest, is family orientated, appreciative, and always wants to get to the bottom of everything.
Kim J. Guyton, a medical lab assistant at Children’s Hospital and aspiring entrepreneur, my parents instilled a lot of good values. My mother is a lead by example type. She’s focused, organized, and super determined. My mother is tough. She can take a lot and still function. But I’m a daddy’s boy. Once I got to middle school, I realized how much my mother did. Growing up if my grades weren’t good, we had to earn what we got. Seeing what women are capable of from an early age made me and my brothers respect women. The most important thing my mom taught me is doing right by people, and doing things the right way. Dad taught me that you earn respect by giving respect, and also to stand up for my beliefs
“In September 2018, I was in Romania and suffered multiple stab wounds in what was officially deemed ‘a hate crime’. I went to the country as a professional basketball player with plans to stay a full-season with the La Cuza basketball club. I had been there for two weeks when me and some of my teammates decided to see the city one night. Long story short, we were in a fight. One of my teammates and I were injured. Within a couple of days, my mom was at my bedside, supporting me. This meant the world to me,” Darrell explained.
Reflecting on her life as a mother of three sons Veronica said, “People say women can raise sons by themselves, but it’s not easy. My advice to women raising sons is, do not be their friend. Be an example to them at all times. Be their mother, someone who has standards and values they can admire, not their equal.”