Godmothers With Lisa BevereНамуна

Fill In the Gaps

Whether it is online, in meetings, or through my books, there is no greater joy or honor than when a young woman calls me Mama Lisa. I remember the day my perspective shifted. I was in a meeting with our team, and they brought up my social media demographics. They asked if I knew the age of the women who follow me. I did not. My team shared that my analytics said the largest group who followed me were women aged twenty-five to thirty-four.

I burst into tears. My team was surprised by my reaction. With my own children in mind, I explained, “Don’t you see? They don’t need another speaker. They are looking for a mother.” 

They were looking for someone to help them fill in their gaps. And we live in a time when there are quite a few gaps in desperate need of tending. When I first explored the concept of a gap or gaps, I had no idea how many words and circumstances were captured by this simple three-letter word. 

Merriam-Webster defines the noun gap as “a break in a barrier (such as a wall, hedge, or line of military defense); an assailable position.” When we merge these ideas, we discover that a gap can be an area or space that renders us vulnerable to attack due to a lack of protection. The concept of the generation gap is the breach that exists between the opinions, actions, and beliefs of the older generation and those of the younger one. 

Generally speaking, a gap describes the difference or distance between the way things are and the way they should be, which is why we are so important to each other. The gaps we have in our faith, relationships, careers, marriages, and even parenting were designed to be filled by each other.

A generation of young women seems unaware that they are surrounded by mature women who’d love to open their lives and share with them what they learned the hard way. On the other hand, older women are under the mistaken impression that no one wants what they have to offer so they withdraw, becoming distant or combative. 

If you’re young, think of an older woman you can connect with. If you’re older, think of a younger woman to reach out to.