The fantastic video of the young 16 year-old lifeguard savior, Ryder Williams, of a 10-year-old near unconscious boy in the Santa Cruz surf this week, truly captures our hearts. What a remarkable and miraculous event. He shrugged it off and said “This is my job and I love what I do”. He hopped back on the stand and apparently saved several more in that rough surf. But, he is 16 years old. Himself a child. He had so much determination in the moment and he was fearless. The commitment to rescue is fierce. I am more fascinated by the miraculous event since my husband was a young beach lifeguard and Olympic level swimmer as a teen, before he was sent to Vietnam. Today as a senior citizen, with two knee replacements, when someone calls for help in the surf, he is immediately aware, when no one else is. I’ve seen him pop up, drop everything and run in. He never asks someone else to join him, knowing full well the eminent danger that rescuers themselves face. He also shrugs. ”It’s what we do”.

I love the concept of rescuing. Whether you are at the kennel and rescuing a puppy, a senior dog or a kitten, or even more precious, you are adopting a child or fostering for a family in crisis, perhaps, as so many now, attending to your own super seniors with dementia, who test your patience and resolve, or you are caring for young children, parents and grandparents and finding deep inside the grace and fortitude you need to keep others safe, every single person has had opportunity to be that savior, and that rescuer either in the moment, as this young man did, or for several years.

When the young teenager. who just learned to drive comes into the clinic, wheeling their grandparent, holding their hand and helping them seek advice and counsel (when they say Grandmom or Pop pop it melts my heart), they have already learned what this young lifeguard has. The need and desire to be there for someone else is ingrained. It is a true gift. People rise to the occasion continuously. You never know when you will be tested, but you will be. There can be an injury. There can be a devastating accident. There can be cancer and there can be illness, but you will be there for someone in your life. Know that you are needed. It almost doesn’t matter your own concerns, issues, problems, or limitations. What matters is that you step up every-single -time. That you are fearless. That, even if you have cancer, you will be there to save another.

God bless this young man who, in only a few inches of water found that devastating, overwhelming, massive surf continually pound him and this child again and again and yet he not only had skill, but he had unparalleled courage and refused to give up. A real life hero at just 16. An inspiration. If he can do it, we can do it. Be there for someone. Be that rescuer and oh yes, allow someone to rescue you.