You're listening to Radiotopia Presents from PRX's Radiotopia.

As you probably know by now, my mother and I spend quality time together on Sundays, but that isn't a new tradition.

In my early years, every Sunday morning she'd come into my room at 7 a.m. to wake me up for church. Early service,

Catholic Mass. I'd put on a sweater and slacks, black and white stride right saddle shoes,

and zombie my way down the hall and out the door. Ten minutes later, we'd pull up to Holy Family.

Though I was always slow going, by the time we got to the door to church, I'd be excited about taking part in all the rituals.

The holy water, the genuflecting before sliding into one of the wooden pews, the shaking hands and wishing peace into another person, the kneeling in my five minutes of independence when my

mother ventured down the center aisle with her hands ready to receive wafer and wine

as body and blood.

But as I got older, it got old.

It wasn't as exciting as going to church with my family down south where the choirs would

stomp a hole in the floor and what everyone called the spirit would be sending people

into enthusiastic convulsion and the preacher would sweat through his suit and robe, screaming

amen at the top of his lungs, loud enough to be heard in heaven.

And also, I got old enough to notice my brother never had to go.

My father neither.

Plus, I had to go to Sunday school, which I hated because Monday,

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday school was already enough.

So eventually, I just didn't want to go no more.

But I had to because my mother made me.

I had to. I'm Jason Reynolds, and this is My Mother Made Me, a podcast from Radiotopia presents about some of the things my mom has taught me about life.

And a big part of that teaching was in the belief in a higher power.

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