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Did Mammy Know Her Worth?

 

“It is difficult to make a man miserable while he feels worthy of himself and claims kindred to the great God who made him.”
Abraham Lincoln

 

 

Mammy is a woman to which we are all familiar. Did she have a deep and pure awareness of her self-worth? Self-worth is defined as "the opinion you have about yourself and the value you place on yourself."

And she is not just a character. To some, she is quite familiar - whether in passing, in our own families/households or even by a similarity we often sense within ourselves.

Literature and film have depicted this woman for years - "an idealized figure of a caregiver: amiable, loyal, maternal, non-threatening, obedient, and submissive." Sometimes she was even characterized as sassy. But the strength of this character, despite her native origin, I believe, transcends race...because the message defies any physical interpretation.

In fact, throughout the years, there has been so much controversy surrounding "Mammy." Many resent her appearance, seemingly subservient behavior and just who she was - a maid. Some have even questioned where her loyalty really lied. But, if we are willing to look beyond her obvious features, behavior or even her occupation; it is there that we will encounter her significance.

First of all, this woman was most times religious. She kept the name of "Jesus" in our consciousness, when we either hadn't yet received His salvation or were just too lazy to seek Him for ourselves. And whenever we arrived at her doorstep, clearly bruised by the realities of the world, she fed our hearts, souls and bodies with the purest love she knew.

Most of all, Mammy was our physical witness of a woman, who regardless of what was going on around her or how she was being perceived, she managed to have a smile on her face. A woman whose knowing and identity came from a place that no human being could touch...a secret place where only she and her God reside.

 

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