How Winning is Done

Exercise has been a good outlet for me when I've cried enough, or don't have the words to write yet.  After the half marathon, I've been trying some new things, taking different classes at the Y.  One of which I've really gotten into lately is kickboxing.  I'm able to experience a great release, especially with my more angry feelings lately, as I punched and kick the bag.  This week, a quote from Rocky Balboa, Silvester Stalone, popped into my head. I remember thinking, "Wow, I never thought of it that way..." as I watched the movie and heard the line way back when.  But when it repeated in my head this week, it meant so much more to me now.

"It ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”  

Isn't this so true??  Yes, being strong and being able to hit is big in winning a fight.  But just as big in winning is being able to take the punch, and come back again.  To stand up after you've been knocked down.  To not give up, and preserver to the end.  It's also true in a bigger frame too.  Most champions have lot some matches, didn't end up on top at the bell.  Not many are undefeated in all of time.  But when they've lost, they didn't quit.  Real champions have lost, but didn't walk away.  They've learned from their loss, and gotten better from it.  Came back stronger the next fight.

We may not all be boxers or actually ever even been in a real fight (like me), but applied to life, we will all be knocked down at one time or another. And this week I remembered that its in the standing up again, withstanding through adversity, where real strength is shown.  And what creates champions.

And I needed this reminder as I felt mad at myself, embarrassed even, that I had such a hard time last week.  But I shouldn't try to hide or be ashamed that grief gets the best of me and it knocks me down sometimes.  It's just how it goes, and doesn't mean I don't believe all I say I do or that I'm not "strong".  It just means I miss my boy.  That I've been hurt and couldn't keep up with all the hits for a week.  It shows I'm still being shaped.  I've still got room to grow.  And if I pretended it doesn't happen, or try too hard to not allow the emotions to come out, I wouldn't be honest for one.  But also would be missing half the equation for building from this.  I need to acknowledge and embrace the "bad" days for what they are and let God us them to turn me into a better me.

And you know who a great example of a champion is to me in this life?  My Drew.  A real Champion, who embodied this whole concept.  Who was certainly strong--would endure the pain until his arm and hand were blue and blistered before he'd cry out about an IV infiltration.  But he wasn't invincible.  He wasn't on top all the time.  I unfortunately watched as he felt so beaten down as a result of the chemo he wouldn't hold his head up straight too many times. 

But as soon as he felt better his head was held high, and he was ready to go, play, and spread his joy and love to everyone he met.  He withstood, and got back up again so many times in his short life.

I think its what made him so remarkable.  It wasn't that he never was upset or down, but that he didn't stay there.  He refused to give up.  He got back up, and kept moving forward. Every. Time.   I just didn't get to see the last time he stood up, because it was on the other side, in Heaven.  But I am comforted to know he'll never have to stand up again, because nothing can knock him down anymore. In the frame of this world he may have "lost" a match, but because of our Grand Champion, Jesus, he got up again after what should have been a knock out blow from Cancer.  Take that death!

So as I recover from a storm of grief last week, and prepare for many more blows coming up as we approach the first set of Holidays without our son with us physically, I'll try to remember this.  It's okay to get knocked down.  I don't have to be strong all the time.  What's important is that I'll stand back up, just like my Drew did.  And get back to work, keep moving forward.  Being a good Mother, Wife, furthering aid to other fighters through Warrior Wagons, and anywhere else I get the opportunity to tell Drew's story and spread the Truth we learned through him.  Because, as Rocky reminds us, that's how winning is done.

(que the Rocky theme song...;) )