I haven’t had an ‘Ali McBeal’ moment for quite a while – not since the pity face fish slapping after Mumbo died.  But I had one today.

 

It almost happened in slow motion….  Seeing my son being slam dunked by his legs; his body hovering high in the air above the scrum capped heads, and being whipped down to crash land on his neck and back…. And as I groaned out a ‘Nooooooooooooooooo’, I grew several feet, my chest, arms and neck filled up to the size of Martin Johnson and I lumbered across the pitch, the ground shaking with each giant step towards the action.  With my giant hands I plucked out the offending boy from the opposition and did a Hancock, throwing him high into the sky while I growled an angry rumble and turned back to my sideline position, shrinking back to my petite blond form.

 

In reality, I just held my breath.  I think.  Or perhaps I shouted obscenities.  I am not really sure.

 

But my son, always one of my favoured teachers, showed me that revenge doesn’t have to be served with violence, or anger;  that you don’t have to sink to the level of cheating or corruption.  He just got up.  I saw him take a deep breath, adjust his mouthguard and play on…  and play on he did; within moments, turning the ball at the centre line and sprinting back to the try line;  triumphant.

 

He showed me that revenge, the best revenge, if it is even that, is to rise above it, to be your best self, turn a bad situation to a memory best forgotten and replace it with a story to be praised and remembered.

 

And that reminded me of an old fable I had come across that morning:

 

An old Cherokee told his grandson “There is a battle between two wolves inside of us all. One is evil – it is anger, jealously, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies and ego.  One is good – it is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy and truth.  The boy thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather.  “ Which wolf wins?”.  The old Cherokee replied quietly, “the one you feed.”

 

I absolutely love that.  Feed the good wolf.  Choose love over fear and ego.  Always.  Tom, the good wolf.