Life is heavy enough without trying to carry it alone. We need people who can laugh with us when joy shows up, pray with us when trouble comes, correct us when we are wrong and remind us who we are when the world tries to make us forget. We need people who don’t just celebrate the highlight reel, but stand close during the hard chapters, the confusing seasons and the moments when we are not at our best.

Raiden is not simply another name on the Mortal Kombat roster. He is the thunder god, the guardian of Earthrealm, the mentor of champions and one of the most complicated figures in the entire franchise. He has saved worlds, guided heroes, challenged gods and faced monsters that wanted to bring Earthrealm to its knees. But he has also made mistakes. Serious ones. Painful ones. Decisions that caused damage to the very people he was trying to protect.

Today, on my mother Marjorie Reed’s birthday, I am reminded of how deeply God favored me by allowing her to be my mother. Not just because she gave birth to me. Not just because she raised me. But because she believed in me. She saw something in me early. She nurtured what was there. She paid attention to the things that made me come alive.