embarassing
VIP
Nostalgia is a funny feeling, that will have you missing a place you’ve never been, a person you’ve never met, and a memory that isn’t yours to long for.
Somalia. I’ve heard your name repeated with such longing, such tenderness, and such remorse. As if every person that had ever said your name regretted the moment they stepped on a plane, taking them away from you.
And when I felt your red earth underneath the soles of my feet for the first time, I understood for a moment what it must have been like for my mother and my grandmother to leave you.
Those of us who were blessed with immigrant parents have a funny relationship with the phrase “back home.” Because, for most of us, “back home” is a land we have no memories of. And yet, we are told that that is where we most belong.
But maybe that’s because there is a degree of belonging that we are unfamiliar with, until we return to our Mother’s land. Maybe there is a certain power in going home. Maybe that’s why my late grandmother’s last wishes were for me to see her land, and her mother’s land.
This video is a tribute to her. My ayeeyo (grandmother), Fathumo Malin Mohamoud, May Allah swt have mercy on her soul. The clips are a combination of my own personal journey from Burco to Mogadishu and all the way down to Kismayo. It’s been years since I first went to back home. And I still don’t have the words to explain the immense impact that trip had on me, and my understanding of who I am and where I fit.
I am so grateful to my friend Jerome Jarre, and everyone who made this trip possible.
It's been years, but I chose this moment to share this video, because right now, many of us are grappling with the fear, anxiety and loneliness of isolation.
And so I hope this makes you feel joy, hope and connected.
Instagram.com/yescene
If you're interested in any photos - yescene.com
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