Growing up, don’t we have those moments where we’re awed by how much our awesome parents know? Dad does not know why the sky is blue? Unlikely. Mom, not having eyes on the back of her head? Incomprehensible! But Gabrielle Union is out there laying the hard reality that parents, in fact, are human. She’s reflected on this perspective based on her own childhood and wants to be different from her own parents.

Speaking to People about her approach to the superhuman notion of parenthood, she said, “I don’t want to learn about you at 77, I could have had a whole different relationship with you had I gotten these stories and this information and your fears, your hopes, your dreams when I was growing up.”

Along with Kaavia, Union is a bonus mom to Dwyane Wade’s kids, Zaire, Zaya, and Xavier, and his nephew Dahveon Morris, whom he adopted. Her close bond with Zaya is the most evident, and she wants to give the teen her authentic side. “So I want Kaavia and Zaya to know me, not the illusion of what I want them to think.”

Union is the daughter of Theresa and Sylvester Union. While Sylvester Union was a military sergeant, Theresa worked in a phone company. She credits her mother for most of her expansive perspective. Theresa instilled in young Gab to become independent. She also introduced her to the LGBTQ+ community as a young child and had open family discussions on colorism.

Theresa’s teachings show a lot in Gabrielle’s relationship with her kids, especially with Zaya and Kaavia. But she doesn’t want them to discover a new person when they’re all much older.

Gabrielle Union is staying true to herself

Union admitted that now that her mother is turning 77, she’s revealing stories about her life to the actress that she didn’t know better. She’s not only discovering sides of her mother she didn’t know, she’s experiencing regrets about not knowing them sooner. She wants to instead strike a balance between maintaining a parental image and showing the kids their authentic selves.

Wade and Union celebrated Zaire’s recent 21st birthday, where he was emotionally expressing his gratitude to his family. The couple also dotes on Kaavia while they’re doing their best for Zaya. Along with being supportive since she came out at 12, they moved from Florida to California to give her a safe space. She’s hyping her fashion career either from the front row of her runway shows or posting on social media. At the same time, they’re making sure Zaya has a normal life balancing academics and going on college tours.

Union is ensuring that the mom the kids know now is the same person they know at 77. After all, our parents deserve to be themselves too.

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