Estranged as she is, Mama June Shannon can only weigh in on Alana Thompson’s life from afar.
She has no one to blame for this other than herself. Addiction is an illness. Theft and destructive choices are not.
On Sunday, August 28, Alana turned 17 and celebrated her birthday. June was not present.
But June did send Alana an apology message. Will it make a difference?
“Happy birthday,” Mama June Shannon’s text to Alana begins, according to TMZ.
“Hope you have a good day,” she wrote to her now 17-year-old daughter.
“Just know I am very proud of you with everything,” June assured.
June then cited that Alana will soon be “graduating high school,” elaborating “which is a big deal.”
She is part of the class of 2023. a painful thing to consider for folks whose own high school graduations were the year that she was born.
This family has known generations of poverty too extreme for many of us to truly imagine. Graduating high school is a big deal. Alana has a future.
“But I know I have put you through a lot,” June acknowledged.
“And,” she expressed, “I’m sorry.”
June then assured Alana: “But I’m here now whenever you need me.”
She admitted: “I know I’m not perfect by [any] means.”
“But I’m trying my best,” June affirmed.
She then added: “I know there is A LOT to … work through.”
“But,” June expressed, “I have confidence that [we] will.”
She then concluded: “But I love you. … Happy birthday.”
That is certainly a sweet message. A key aspect of a good apology is not offering excuses. June did that.
Alana is now 17 years old. She will graduate high school late next spring.
And next summer, she will become a legal adult.
But June no longer plays a major role in her life. Why? Because June made a series of catastrophic choices.
Just a few years ago, June began a downward spiral of toxic behavior.
Yes, she was binging highly addictive (and coincidentally illegal) drugs that altered her behavior.
Her life fell apart. In many ways, so did her home.
It was, simply put, no longer safe for Alana to remain living at that house with June and Geno.
She moved in with her sister, Lauryn. Some hasty documentation prevented June from siphoning away any of Alana’s money.
Meanwhile, June blew through her own money, spending more than $1 million. Eventually, she sold her house. She also sold many belongings of her family members.
We are all glad that June is now in a better place in her life and health.
But that does not mean that Alana will forgive her for past misdeeds, or that she deserves it.
Alana will only ever have one childhood. After so many blunders, only she can decide if she wants June to be part of her adult life.
