A Question for My Brothers
By Ronald Yates
Brothers if I were to ask you what value you place on your wife or significant other, what would that price be? I’m not asking in the same sense as the former slave masters; my question is regarding the understanding of how greatly we value the relationships we have with the women in our lives. Some will place the highest value on their relationship, while others will place material things above the love of a woman. For some, it is something as simple as a car, or new rims to make the vehicle more noticeable and for others, it may be things like drugs, alcohol, or plain old lack of understanding that diminishes the perceived value.
In today’s world, we live in a society where things have a much greater value than human life. We take human life with little regard but will line up in subzero temperatures to purchase the latest iPhone or Air Jordans. I see posts on social media where people state that no one speaks highly of them while they are alive. It is only after they have transitioned that people come out to say nice things about those who can no longer hear them. Last month was a commercial holiday we call Valentine’s Day. On that day it is expected that men will show our female counterparts how much we appreciate all that they do. Yet many of our sisters will receive nothing… not even a kind word. Brothers, should we wait for some commercially created holiday to show how much we love the women that bear our children and stay by our sides? Even when we’ve done wrong, their faith in us doesn’t faulter. Despite all the hurt, our women have endured over the generations, they are still here, still loving us, still willing to accept us even when it is not in their best interest to do so.
It seems that in today’s modern times, technology has advanced, but the mindset of a lot of Black men has regressed and the roles have flipped. It is now men who are viewed as “the prize” rather than our women. Men who once prepared themselves for the time they would meet and fall in love with the woman of their dreams now come with little to no preparation for marriage or even a healthy relationship. For many, there were no father figures or role models to teach them the value of a “Good Woman” or the responsibilities of being a man. Unfortunately, due to their lack of understanding and general disregard, many will never recognize the value of the woman that lies next to them night after night. Many will never know or even be able to conceptualize what lies within the depths of her love, her innermost thoughts, and desires.
My brothers, the iPhone is temporary, as are the Jordans, but the value of the woman in your life cannot and must not be measured in terms of silver or gold.
