Once she decided to go through with the photoshoot she set a few ground rules. She wasn’t going to starve herself and she didn’t want any retouching of her photos, except for “a few dimples on her thighs.”
“My grandmother said to me [when I was little], ‘Mother nature was not as kind to you as she was to other little girls. Maybe you need to start wearing makeup.’ I just never saw myself this way.”
She added, “I know what I look like before I go into hair and makeup, so it’s hard for me to go from that to [the cover]. That’s something I have to process myself.”
King had nothing to worry about.
When she arrived at the photo shoot in Mexico, she said photographer Yu Tsai made her feel like “Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry all rolled into one.”
“I felt so comfortable and cared for that I didn’t even have time to feel self-conscious.”
“I never in a million years thought I would be standing here in a bathing suit for Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit], but here I am, which says to me that sometimes people can dream, God can dream, the universe can dream a bigger dream than you can ever think for yourself,” King told Sports
Illustrated. “I would have never thought this was possible. This was nowhere on my bucket list. So I’m thinking maybe it was a dream that I didn’t even know I wanted because now that I’m here, I want it bad.”
Gayle looks amazing! I think it’s wonderful how Sports Illustrated showcases all different ages, body types, and races in their issue. We’re not all the same, and everyone deserves to be represented.
I sent daily letters to my son from a nursing home and heard nothing back, until a stranger arrived to take me home
After my son Tyler persuaded me to move into a nursing home, I began writing him daily letters to express how much I missed him. Despite my efforts, he never replied. Then one day, a stranger came to take me home.
When I turned 81, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, which made it difficult for me to move around without help. This made it hard for Tyler and his wife, Macy, to care for me, so they decided I should go to a nursing home. Tyler told me they couldn’t care for me because of their busy lives and insisted the house I had lived in was too large for just me.
I was heartbroken as I realized their decision was less about my care and more about wanting my house for themselves. That night, I wondered what I had done wrong. I thought I had raised a good son, but his actions felt like a betrayal. Despite my pleas, Tyler and Macy took me to a nearby nursing home, promising to visit often. I hoped that moving there might not be so bad since they would come to see me. Little did I know, Tyler was just trying to get rid of me.
Days turned into years in the nursing home. Although the staff was kind and I enjoyed chatting with other residents, I longed for my family. Without a phone or tablet, I wrote daily letters to Tyler, asking him to visit or update me, but I never received a reply.
After two long years, I lost hope that anyone would come. Each night, I prayed to return home, but I tried not to get my hopes up. One day, however, my nurse told me a man was at the desk asking for me. Excitedly, I grabbed my walker, thinking it might be Tyler.
To my surprise, the man waiting for me was someone I hadn’t seen in years. It was Ron, a childhood friend of Tyler’s who had once lived with us. He greeted me warmly and explained that he had just returned from Europe. When I told him about my situation, he looked concerned and asked me to sit down.
Ron shared that Tyler and Macy had tragically died in a house fire the previous year. He had found their house abandoned and discovered my unread letters in the mailbox. Hearing about Tyler’s death filled me with conflicting emotions; despite my anger towards him, I felt heartbroken.
Ron stayed by my side as I cried, comforting me as I mourned my son and daughter-in-law. He reminded me of how I had taken him in as a child when he was in need. Unlike Tyler, Ron had grown up poor and had lost his parents, but I had treated him like my own. Ron then offered to take me home with him. I couldn’t believe it. My own son had sent me away, and now here was Ron, who wanted to care for me. Gratefully, I accepted his offer.
That night, Ron helped me pack my belongings and took me to his new home. He had a loving family who welcomed me with open arms. In those final years, I found happiness surrounded by people who truly cared for me.
It’s important to respect your elders and recognize their sacrifices. Tyler failed to appreciate all I had done for him and chose convenience over care. Family isn’t solely defined by blood; Ron, despite not being related, remembered my kindness and chose to repay it by taking me in and caring for me.
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