Mick Hunt

I've never said this to my mom.

I've never said this to my sister, my brother.

I'm saying this for the first time to you because I trust you.

Growing up,

I didn't think my mom would live to see 40.

I prepared myself

at a young age to say goodbye.

And I've never said this out loud because I internalize a lot, but I was prepared.

And then I realized that maybe I could do something to not allow that to happen.

And so no fear, no worry.

I just knew that I had to do what I had to do.

And if I could take the abuse, if I could take the blame, the responsibility, but I knew I was purposely doing it, I was okay.

At 10, I made my mom a promise I was going to change her life, that she would smile one day and not feel ashamed to smile.

And so where did that lead me in teenhood?

I was still that competitive person.

I still wanted to be the best because I felt like the only way to fulfill the promise was to be the best dot, dot, dot.

Whatever comes after the dot, dot, dot.

The best student, the best athlete, the best teammate, the best manager at Subway, my first job, right?

The best whatever I was doing, I had to be the best.

Because if someone else was better, then I might not have this promise, right?