I saw a wrestling video this week that I just have to share with you! I am not a wrestling fan, never have been and never will be, but this is not your normal wrestling match. What happens in this short video clip is extremely touching. Watch for yourself and see what I mean...
As you can see from the video, immediately after the start of this elementary school wrestling match (between a five year old boy and a five year old girl), the two-year-old younger brother of the female opponent charges the mat to protect his big sister! If you listen carefully, you can hear him say "get off my sister!" You can also hear an adult bystander say "that is the best thing I have ever seen! That was awesome." I agree - this is one of the best things that I have ever seen. It is inspiring and awesome to see children do the "right thing" without hesitation or provocation.
Watching this video immediately flashed me back to 12 years ago to a similar "brother intervention" moment. At the time, my two sons were 3 and 4 years old and attended the same Montessori pre-school. When I arrived at pick-up time, I soon realized that the kids were outside on the playground instead of inside the school like they normally would be at dismissal. As I scanned the playground looking for my sons, I was shocked and horrified to see that my younger boy was on the ground on his back and there was another preschooler on top of him pounding on my son with his fists. Unlike the elementary school video that went viral this week, what I was witnessing was not a competitive wrestling match but instead a preschool playground brawl. I knew that I had to get my car out of the pick-up lane and immediately into a parking spot so I could go rescue my son from the playground bully. In the seconds that I took to assess what I was seeing and to formulate a plan, I saw something happen next that was both startling and heartwarming. I watched my older son run across the playground towards the 'melee' involving his younger brother. He grabbed with both hands the boy who was punching his brother and tore him off of him. He ran as fast across that playground to save his younger brother as the 2 year old toddler did in the video when he charged the mat in defense of his sister! In my mind, both of these very young boys (the toddler rescuing his sister and my older son stepping in to save his younger brother) acted heroically. They both reacted the same way -- instantaneously and fearlessly -- when they saw what they perceived as an injustice against their sibling. They instinctively knew that their sibling needed "saving" and did what they thought they 'had to do' to save their loved one. How wonderful it is to witness what it looks like when "someone has your back."
Who has your back? As you wrestle through each day of your life, is there someone that you know you could count on unconditionally to support you and rescue you if needed? Would that person come running and "charge the mat" if they thought you needed rescuing? Remember when the show "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?" was popular? Not only did Regis Philbin's daily phrase "is that your final answer?" become part of the American vernacular, but so did the catchphrase "I'd like to use one of my lifelines - may I phone a friend?" We all need lifelines in our lives...a friend we can call when we need support. It would be even better if that lifeline was like the toddler in the video...and he/she was on-call, waiting in the wings until needed, and just came rushing in at the appropriate time. Knowing you are surrounded by people that support and defend you would perhaps be just what you need to take a leap forward in your life. The best offense happens when you know you have a good defense.
I am always talking to you about making lists...to-do lists, grocery lists, and healthy food lists. I even publish a list every Friday of the Top 4 things you can do to improve your health. What if this week we each make a list of our Top 4 heroes...the people we know we can count on to support us when we are down on the mat. Make your list today. If you want to add a 5th person to your list, put my name down. I am here for you.