The Thank-You That Brought Iyanla to Tears

Ryan has four—soon to be five—children with four different women. During a discussion with Iyanla about love, infidelity and the responsibilities of being a father, Ryan and his mother begin to work through their issues on Iyanla's stage.

Ryan, whose father died when he was 7 years old, gets emotional when he addresses his mother, who admits that she was verbally abusive towards him when he was a boy. First, Ryan forgives her for the past. "I forgive you for tearing me down," he says. "I forgive you for every time I hurt myself. I forgive you. I love you. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Then, Ryan reveals why he's thankful for his mother. "Even though you weren't my father, Mom, you showed me how to be a parent. And I never walk away from my kids because of you," he says. "It was hard for me to come up here. I drove six hours. I wanted to turn around so many times because I knew God was going to break me down, and I didn't want it to happen yet. But I'm sick of hurting."

In the video above, Ryan bares his soul as an emotional Iyanla stands behind the family.

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Iyanla is also teaching a six-week eCourse on forgiveness. Sign up for the class today!