Mentorship is more than just a relationship between two people…
My mentee is 10 years old, and she’s a wonderful girl. We usually meet over ice cream or we include her in our family fun times. But this week our meeting took place under much different circumstances. On Friday I got a call from my mentee’s Mum, who was in tears. My mentee’s 9 year-old little brother had fallen at school and broken his arm. He’d been taken to the hospital, and the whole family was worried about him. Their stress was multiplied because the hospital was quite far from their home, it was already late afternoon and they don’t have a car.
I’ve been blessed with a car, so I rushed to their place and took the mother to see her son. He was a very brave boy, but he was obviously relieved to be with his mother again. The next day we visited him again, and this time my mentee came too. She was a doting big sister, and I was really touched to see the love and concern she was pouring out on him. As I was taking her home, she thanked me for being there for her family when they needed me most.
It occurred to me that mentorship is about more than just a relationship between two people. As a mentor, I am privileged to be part of the circle of support around a young person that is much bigger than myself. I must strive to have a good relationship with her family and her siblings. Sometimes being there for her means that I need to be there for those whom she loves. - Stacey Dlamini