The mentor cares that the acorn grows into the tree it is meant to be. She is nurturing or tough and everything in between as needed. As she chooses what is called for, it is always with the best interest of the mentee in mind.
Mentor – Greek mythological figure, tutor to Telemachus. Faithful and wise advisor.
Athena, goddess of wisdom, assumed Mentor’s form to advise Telemachus. She warned him about the future then sent him on a journey that taught him how to win it.
Mentor to the Famous
Maya Angelou - Mentor
Maya Angelou
As a child Maya Angelou had a stark realization about the power of words. She had testified in open court against a local man who abused her. He was found guilty then later shot and killed himself. Following his death, the young Ms. Angelou remained mute for six years.
Enter Ms. Flowers who accepted Maya’s silence and at the same time saw that she loved the very thing she feared. Ms. Flowers introduced Maya to books and assigned her to read every volume in the library. Ms. Flowers also read aloud to young Maya who fell in love with poetry. In this love Ms. Flowers found a door and opened it. She told Maya to truly know a poem one must hear it in one’s own voice. And the rest as they say – is history.
Mentor – one who sees the child’s gifts then guides her on the journey to teach her how to use them.
As an adult Ms. Angelou became a mentor to Oprah Winfrey.
What the Mentor Sees
The mentor sees the acorn and envisions the tree. She sees into the heart and mind and nurtures what may not be visible even to the mentee.
What the Mentor Does
Like Glynda, the good witch who guides Dorothy along the yellow brick road, the mentor offers encouragement and instruction as the mentee meets a challenge that builds her strengths. The mentor may point out the road sign where the journey begins, reveal a hidden secret or warn of what is to come.
How the Mentor Is
The mentor cares that the acorn grows into the tree it is meant to be. She is nurturing or tough and everything in between as needed. As she chooses what is called for, it is always with the best interest of the mentee in mind. She asks for nothing in return except to be watch the acorn become the tree.
Finding a Mentor
While one or the other initiates, ultimately they find each other and in so doing find parts of themselves.
