Today, I turn 51 years old.

But before I press play on Episode 8 of #dm9origins, I felt led to pause… and reflect.

Because this moment feels too sacred to ignore.

You see, I was 8 years old when I first tried out for a baseball team. I didn’t make it. I cried. I’ve shared that part of my story before.

But today, on my 51st birthday — 43 years later — I want to share the story my mother told me on that very same 8th birthday. A story that changed how I see life… and how I understand purpose.

—

That morning, I woke up to the sound of my mother crying and praying at the foot of my bed. That wasn’t unusual in our house — my sister Dayna James  and I were used to seeing our mom on her knees, calling out to the Lord. But this time was different.

Later that day, after school, I came home like any normal day in Park Place. As I walked up to the door, I heard my mother weeping through the windows. The moment I stepped inside, she pulled me in and held me tight, crying uncontrollably.

Through tears she said:
“Manny, I love you so much.”

I was 8 years old — confused and concerned.
“Mom, I know… but what’s wrong?”

She looked at me with eyes full of both pain and joy. Then she said something I’ll never forget:

“The doctors told me I would never be able to have kids. But what man says is impossible, God makes possible. I had a son before you… his name was John Grant, but everyone called him JB. He died of cancer at 8 years old. And I was afraid you wouldn’t live to see this day.”

She shared how JB was tough, loved sports, and played with kids older and bigger than him — just like me. He was close to our cousin Mark Branch. But she also shared something even deeper:

“I wasn’t always a woman of God. I lived in the world. When JB got sick, I made a promise to the Lord that if He healed him, I’d change. He got better, but I didn’t keep my promise. When JB got sick again… I tried to make the same vow.”

That’s when JB began saying he was “going home.”
He refused to sleep in a bed — only the sofa — and the pillows had to be in the shape of a cross. When he bathed, he only wanted fresh water — no soap.

Then one day, a strong wind blew through the house, swinging open every door and window. After the family scrambled to close them all… JB was gone.

My mother said the pain was unbearable. But that pain led her to surrender fully to the Lord. And when I was born, she believed God was giving her a second chance — not to replace JB, but to raise another son with divine purpose.

She said, “When I see you, it’s like I’m seeing two in one.”

—

At 8 years old, I couldn’t fully grasp what that meant. But I knew it mattered.

And today, at 51, I understand it more than ever.

Everything I am — as a man, a father, a coach, a mentor — was born from that prayer at the foot of my bed… and the sacrifice and surrender of a mother who gave her life to Christ.

That’s what DM9 is built on.
Not just football. Not just development. But legacy.
Pain turned into purpose.
Tragedy turned into testimony.

That’s the heart of Diamonds of Distinction.
Helping young men understand that they were created for more — and that the impossible becomes possible when you walk with faith, honor, and obedience.

This pause break is not just about looking back — it’s about reminding myself and everyone watching:
You were born for something greater.
I was.
My sister was.
JB was.
And so are the young men and women we serve every day.

I’ll be back soon with Episode 8 of DM9 Origins…
But for now — I just want to say:

To my mother: thank you for your prayers.
To my Lord: thank you for your purpose.
And to all of you reading this:
You matter.
You were chosen.
And you are loved.

Happy Birthday to me.
Glory to God for the story He continues to write.

— Coach Mason

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