photo Sam Anderson
And Her name is Mahadevi
by Dr. Melva Green
Monday, April 18, 2011 at 8:11am
Philadelphia, PA
My life tends to be filled with many professional and personal opportunities to stand witness to greatness and beautiful transformative light beings. This past weekend was much like many but with one especially soul stirring moment. For starters, on Friday night I attended a gala honoring civil rights attorney Fred Gray. There I was journeying back in time--not too far back. I couldn't help but to remind myself to never take the civil liberties that were fought for for granted.
Less than 24 hours later, I sat in a room of other Greats. There, filled to capacity with it pouring rain outside were the women attendees of the 8th annual Heal a Woman, Heal a Nation conference. Alongside an amazing panel of relationship experts I journeyed back in time- again not too far back. Not to the 60s/70s or the era of the civil rights movement. No, this time to my own interpersonal metamorphosis movement. Back to the moment of an ego free, unbridled introspection when I "SAW" for the very first time the authentic power of my own mother. I shared from the stage how I released my ego twisted opinions about what she did or did not do to/for me...in fact that "only in seeing the Goddess in her could I ever begin to see the Goddess in me".
From the collective gasp of the audience I knew it was one of many points that resonated with so many women there. Because it is undenaibly a truth. No matter who we are/how we are/or what we accomplish in this life, how we as women "see" THE FIRST WOMAN IN OUR LIVES has everything to do with how we "see" or can't see our true selves. I felt truly grateful just to share my life and love with the women there. But before the afternoon came to a conclusion, I was greeted with the REAL reason for me BEing...there:
There she was. Racing. Back and forth. With the fierce energy and cosmic fire of a shooting star back and forth...to the stage...from the stage. I left the adults, unable to resist her silent call to me. Back and forth WE ran...she picking up candies in the basket...me calling out the names of the sweet treats in a funny voice...she laughing out a "Whoppers...that's funny...I like that".
Me saying "You're so special". She screaming out "I'm so special". Back and forth, fists full of candy...Then she stops. She stops to count the candies - one, two, three...all the way to the 13th candy. My mouth now open, I bellow out to her mother and grandmother "How old is this baby?".
Before I could digest that she was merely 2 years of age, her mother says "she speaks french and another language", a comment to which my little princess angel begins to speak in Chinese. I was stumped!
I say again "You're so special". She "YES! I'M SO SPECIAL. Mommy, Nana she say's I'm so special". They both smile and affirm this truth. Then I say for the 3rd and final time for the afternoon "You're SO AMAZING".
And she filled to the rim with just the right fuel for her FIRE, "YES! I'M SO AMAZING". And before anyone has the chance to say or do anything she races to the edge of the stage leaping off into my arms... without a doubt... knowing that I would catch her... that I would never let her fall...clasping my face in her tiny little hands and kissing me on my left cheek...with all of the LOVE in her WHOLEHEART.
And Her name is Mahadevi. What a name bestowed this great girl-child. Great Goddess she is indeed to have ignited this simple prayer in me:
Women and girls all over the world will re-MEMBER their 2 year old selves...bold, beautiful and boundless. And so it is.
Hotep, Ashe, Shalom, Namaste, Amen
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