I watched an episode of Mama Iyanla doing her thing recently and the simplicity of the moment she was creating for these wonderful but wounded young men is something I could never describe fully with words. These young men, brothers came from dysfunction. They had not known the love, warmth and pure serenity of family life as children and even as adults. It was evident they love each other dearly and had built what they had with the little they knew. Honestly I was fascinated by their story and sheer strength of the human spirit to survive anything.
These young men, sat at the dining table together at the kitchen, whilst Mama Iyanla hovered over them lovingly, feeding them breakfast. With a closer look you will realize she was feeding them more than breakfast. She was feeding that deep part in their souls that was neglected as children. Oh and were they there for it. Men are taught to mask their emotions so it was pure joy for me to watch these young men being unashamedly vulnerable and drinking all the mothering attentiveness in. There was a spread of food, they were spoiled for choice, they ate not like a people starving from food, they ate keeping their eyes on Mama Iyanla as people starving of a mother’s love, and peaceful togetherness and grabbing this opportunity to experience it and soak it all in. I teared up. I teared up because this is someone’s normal. Some of us cannot begin to imagine how just being together, hanging out with mum, being silly, enjoying her warmth and eating what she’s prepared can be a big deal because that is our everyday reality. A reality we take for granted.
I found myself impulsively praying for them, the brothers who came to Iyanla to try and fix their family. For the first time since I started watching her, I committed to praying for those young men. I might never meet them but I know the power of prayer and I know how far that can go. He will randomly place people in their path who will continue the work Iyanla started until their whole.
All this because parents dropped the ball on their duty. Lovely young men with beautiful minds, so intelligent and articulate but hurting and bleeding badly underneath, remnants of neglectful parents. But I loved the fight I saw in them, the desire to heal so they can be better. The courage the exhibited through the willingness to work through the toughest issues.
The next time you get the chance to just hang with your amazing Dad or mum, keep in mind, there are 5 brothers across the ocean, many in our neighborhoods and across the world who would give an arm to have a loving, nurturing relationship with their parents.
@Copyright Emefa Gadze 27/03/2019
Featured picture: Iyanla fix my life
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