The People Who Hold Us Up
The boat skimmed across the water as music played and the crowd watched from shore. One moment the skiers were gliding across the lake in a long line, and the next they were climbing onto one another's shoulders, building something that seemed almost impossible while moving across the water. Higher and higher they went until a human pyramid had formed, with one skier standing at the very top.
In July, I went to see the Aquanuts water ski show in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin. I've watched water ski shows before, but as I sat along the shoreline that evening, I found myself thinking about more than the tricks, jumps, and formations happening in front of me.
I kept noticing the teamwork.
When you look at a water ski pyramid, your eyes naturally travel to the person at the top. She's the one standing high above everyone else, balancing while the boat continues pulling the entire group across the water. It takes courage to be up there, and I'm pretty sure I won't be volunteering for that position anytime soon.
But then I started looking at everyone underneath her. She couldn't possibly get there alone. There were people at the bottom creating the foundation. Others were balanced on their shoulders, while still more climbed higher. Every person had a job to do, and each one had to trust that the others would do theirs.
If one person lost their balance, it could affect everyone around them. There was no room for someone to decide, "I'm just going to do my own thing.” They had to move together. Trust together. Adjust together. And when needed, recover together.
It made me think about how often we celebrate the person standing at the top without thinking about all the people who helped her get there.
Life is a little like that, isn't it? We see someone's success, confidence, happiness, or accomplishments and assume they somehow arrived there on their own. Yet behind most of us is a collection of people who have helped hold us up along the way.
Parents who believed in us.
Friends who listened when we needed to talk.
Teachers who saw something in us before we saw it ourselves.
Mentors who encouraged us.
Children who inspired us.
Women who stood beside us during difficult seasons.
Someone who offered a hand when we weren't quite sure we could stand on our own.
None of us truly rises alone.
I think sometimes we forget that because we place so much value on independence. We want to believe we can handle everything ourselves. We hesitate to ask for help because we don't want to inconvenience anyone or appear as though we aren't capable.
But watching those skiers made me see support differently. Being supported doesn't make the person at the top any less strong. In fact, she has to be incredibly strong. She still has to find her balance. She still has to trust herself. She still has to have the courage to stand up when falling is certainly a possibility.
The people underneath her don't take away from her accomplishment. They make it possible. And perhaps that's something we all need to remember.
There are seasons when we get to be the person at the top, stretching ourselves, taking chances, and celebrating something we've worked hard to achieve. There are other seasons when our role is to be part of the foundation for someone else.
Both matter.
There is something beautiful about being the person who says, "I've got you.” The friend who checks in. The woman who celebrates another woman's success without comparing it to her own. The family member who shows up when things get difficult. The person who offers encouragement when someone's confidence begins to wobble. Sometimes helping someone rise doesn't require a grand gesture. It might simply be reminding her that she can.
I especially love thinking about this in terms of women supporting women. We don't have to compete for the top spot. There is room for all of us to rise, and when we use our strength to support another woman, we aren't giving away any of our own.
We are creating a stronger foundation.
And sometimes roles change.
The person holding you up today may need you to hold her up tomorrow.
That's community.
That's friendship.
That's family.
That's love.
Of course, even with all the preparation, practice, and trust in the world, sometimes someone falls. That's part of the risk. And that's part of life too. We lose our footing. Plans don't work out. Relationships change. Dreams take longer than expected. We make mistakes. Something we thought was solid suddenly feels shaky beneath us.
The goal isn't to never fall.
It's knowing we don't have to stay down.
Watching the Aquanauts work together reminded me that when one person wobbles, everyone has to adjust. They don't simply pretend nothing happened. They respond to what is happening around them and keep moving forward together.
What a beautiful way to live. Maybe strength isn't always standing perfectly balanced at the top. Maybe sometimes strength is reaching for someone's hand. Maybe it's allowing yourself to be supported. Maybe it's being steady enough to support someone else. And maybe the greatest strength comes from knowing when it's your turn to do each.
As I watched that pyramid moving across the lake, I thought about the people in my own life who have been part of my foundation. The ones who have cheered me on, encouraged my dreams, listened to my fears, helped me back up, and reminded me of my strength when I temporarily forgot.
I hope I've done the same for them.
Because while the view from the top might be beautiful, I think there is something even more beautiful about knowing you didn't get there alone. Perhaps life was never meant to be a solo performance. We are meant to reach, trust, encourage, catch, celebrate, and occasionally wobble together.
So today, take a moment to think about your own pyramid. Who has helped you rise? Who is standing beside you? And whose dreams are you helping lift a little higher? Because behind every person brave enough to rise are often the people who hold us up.
xo, Sheryl
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