Imua… In Hawaii we have a word called “mana” which means “spirit”. “Warrior mana” is my foundation. Core of the symbolic story my tatau (tattoo) tells. My mana is my DNA that keeps me grounded and hungry. Find your “mana” and let it lead you. Inspire you.. to be a little better today, then you were yesterday. #AkakaFalls #DNA #WarriorMana #RemovingClothingIsOptional

A photo posted by therock (@therock) on Mar 19, 2015 at 10:27am PDT

I can’t resist an adorable story about Dwayne Johnson, especially when it involves his loyalty and admiration for the woman who brought his Rockness into the world. I know a lot of people think he’s too roidy and in-your-face, but he’s an awesome person. He also comes by his physique honestly. Johnson’s Instagram account is full of workout videos, and he detailed his diet for Muscle & Fitness. He eats around 5,165 calories per day, and it’s all healthy stuff. No wine allotment! At least he’s consistent about the plan and isn’t doing it for an Oscar campaign (yet).

Mother’s Day provided Johnson with an opportunity to show his softer side. He’s previously discussed how he grew up in poverty, and his mother worked so hard to keep a roof over the family’s head. Now Johnson treats his mother to a life of luxury, and she was overcome yesterday with contrasting memories. Johnson Instagrammed this photo of his crying mother with this emotional caption:

“Cool Mother’s Day story.. early am flight and I’m sittin’ across from my mom when out of the blue she looks around the plane, then looks at me and says ‘Son, I can’t believe the life I have.. grandma and grandpa would be so proud.’ I asked her, ‘Are you happy ma?’. Just then the flight attendant placed my moms breakfast down on the table and my mom said to me, ‘Am I happy?.. I used to worry about how I was going to buy groceries for us and now I just had my breakfast placed down in front of me’. She bursts into tears and says ‘Yes, son I couldn’t be happier’. This is the woman who when I was 14yrs old we were evicted out of our apartment in Hawaii ’cause we couldn’t afford the $180 per week rent.

“At this moment Im shaking my head and smiling quietly (as my mom blows her nose;) ’cause she just told me she’s happy. And y’all know when our parents tell us they’re happy, its so satisfying for us, ’cause it means we’ve done a good job for them as their kids. Happy Mother’s Day to all the deserving amazing mamas out there. And Happy Mother’s Day to my amazing mom who will no doubt kill me for posting this crying pic. #EnjoyBreakfastMom #GratefulTears #TryNotCryInTheEggs”

[From The Rock on Instagram]

If this was almost any other celebrity, I’d be throwing a side-eye at the whole affair. How dare he try to manipulate his audience with a sentimental story and photo, right? With Johnson, the whole story comes off as sincere and as a tribute to his mother. This guy honestly doesn’t have a dent anywhere in his armor. Other than in random pro wrestling forums, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who can say anything negative about him. This story is a nice alternative to the usual bad celebrity behavior.

Cool Mother’s Day story.. early am flight and I’m sittin’ across from my mom when out of the blue she looks around the plane, then looks at me and says “Son, I can’t believe the life I have.. grandma and grandpa would be so proud.” I asked her, “Are you happy ma?”. Just then the flight attendant placed my moms breakfast down on the table and my mom said to me, “Am I happy?.. I used to worry about how I was going to buy groceries for us and now I just had my breakfast placed down in front of me”. She bursts into tears and says “Yes, son I couldn’t be happier”. This is the woman who when I was 14yrs old we were evicted out of our apartment in Hawaii ’cause we couldn’t afford the $180 per week rent. At this moment Im shaking my head and smiling quietly (as my mom blows her nose;) ’cause she just told me she’s happy. And y’all know when our parents tell us they’re happy, its so satisfying for us, ’cause it means we’ve done a good job for them as their kids. Happy Mother’s Day to all the deserving amazing mamas out there. And Happy Mother’s Day to my amazing mom who will no doubt kill me for posting this crying pic. #EnjoyBreakfastMom #GratefulTears #TryNotCryInTheEggs

A photo posted by therock (@therock) on May 10, 2015 at 1:17pm PDT

Photos courtesy of The Rock on Instagram, Fame/Flynet & WENN