I love Viola Davis. Several times in my life, people have commented on how I reminded them of her. I usually get compared to Viola Davis or Michelle Obama. I am flattered either way! My point is unfortunately with my schedule, I missed several episodes of her breakthrough show, “How To Get Away With Murder.” However, I did get a chance to view the very end of the most important, life-altering episode that will help to assist all minority women with embracing their natural beauty from this point forward.
While winding down from a busy day one evening, the only thing I desired to do was to zone-out on television. Flopping down on my couch, I immediately reached for the remote and started flipping through the channels. I stopped scanning the channels when I noticed Viola Davis’s character sitting in front of a mirror removing her wig and wiping off her lipstick as well as her eye-shadow. When all was said and done, she was sitting in front of the mirror in her natural bare essence, while I was sitting on my couch in my natural utter amazement!
This moment of transparency spoke to my spirit within for several reasons. I endured mental and emotional abuse for many years from my past relationship. Anything I tried to accomplish was never good enough. I was told I had to act like or be someone else. It was often stated by this individual, I was not allowed to cut my hair, wear certain clothing or even wear certain make-up. I even had a curfew while attending family functions! All of these rules helped to bound up my spirit and took a toll on my soul. As the individual on the receiving end of emotional and psychological abuse, you do all these things because you think you will keep peace. However, you soon learn that when other people thrust their insecurities on you in the form of abuse, there is no peace to be kept. Therefore when Viola Davis bared all and presented her natural image to millions, she truly became my icon.
I used to despise the image I saw in the mirror while I was experiencing that unhealthy relationship. However, several years and many prayers later, God has healed my unseen wounds. Believe me when I say, “To God be the glory for He has done great things!” Now I say in jest, if anyone ever states to me, “She thinks she is all that!” I will reply, “Yes. But it took me almost 40 years to believe that!” So I have made it my life’s mission to make sure the process of embracing who you are for our younger women does not take 40 years for them to realize how beautifully unique they are. It’s utterly ridiculous to walk around for years so messed up on the inside just because of what someone else wants you to be. I desire our young women to embrace who they are from the inside out and believe they are “All That” even in their natural beauty TODAY! So thank you from the bottom of my heart for that moment of vulnerability Viola Davis because you are truly “ALL THAT AND THEN SOME”.
No comments:
Post a Comment