June Shannon, aka Mama June, is in the house! Mama June started off as a hillbilly welfare mother who came on the scene through the TV show Toddlers and Tiaras with her then young daughter Alana Thompson who she use to enter in pageants to earn extra money. Unbeknownst to Mama June this simple act would be the vehicle through which she and her family would be discovered and offered a TV show "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo." This was a simple, silly show about their redneck, hillbilly lifestyle which at the time was exploding on the reality TV scene. With success of the show came the trappings of money, fame and opportunists looking to capitalize off that money and fame. Soon thereafter came the downfall that mixing with the wrong people usually brings causing that show to be cancelled indefinitely. Luckily for Mama June and her family, Hollywood came knocking again for the second chance at a show "Mama June From Not To Hot" which showcased the road to her physical transformation. Then came the second downfall through her boyfriend Geno Doak which was drug use, addiction, reckless financial decisions and yes legal problems which included jail. Then came a spinoff "Mama June Road To Redemption" which captured, you guessed it, her road to redemption wherein Mama June conquered her drug addiction and escaped a prison sentence for her drug charges. Now cut to today... Mama June is thriving. I love a good come back story. To quote the Jersey Shore's Mike Sorrentino who also successfully emerged from a downward spiral (i.e., addiction and jail)... "the comeback is greater than the setback."
So, if you are struggling and have made some ugly mistakes, remember that you can always turn it around if you learn from those mistakes and make a concerted effort to have a better life. Out of the darkness emerges the light. The light always shines through the darkness.
Jacqueline Sebiane
