Heroism

Behind the house is a drainage ditch that the City of Mesquite built...it's got steep angled walls and when it rains, it moves alot of water. When it snows, it gets really slick. Now, we just found out it gets really slick, because it never really snows here until yesterday. We probably got 10 inches of snow. It's awesome. Anyway, back to the ditch...my two younger boys decided that it would be fun to take the plastic trash can lid and slide down the walls of the ditch. It was great once. Problem was, the walls were so slick that they couldn't climb back up! There's no telling how many times they tried, but they couldn't get more than halfway up. Finally, Moose was able to get Zach onto a piece of wood that had fallen from our neighbors fence and Zach made it to the top. Moose tells Zach go get Mom and Dad and Zach says, "I'm not leaving my brother!" After several minutes of pleading, Moose finally convinces Zach to go get a rope from the garage. As he heads for the garage, he sees me sitting in the front living room and knocks on the window and yells that Patrick is stuck in the creek. I get my shoes on and head out back. By the time I get there, Zach has already tied this really small nylon rope to a fence post and is trying to throw the rope to Moose. The rope is so light that he can only get it to go half way down. He tries three or four times with no luck. At this point I'm laughing hysterically, Patrick is laughing hysterically, but not Zach, he's trying to save his brother. Out of frustration, Zach sits down to slide back down into the culvert to take Patrick the rope. Moose and I tell him not to do that, he'll just get stuck again. With a serious look on his little face, he says "Dad, let me do this". My little man was willing to "sacrifice" himself for his brother.

You hope and pray that in times of crisis that you would respond in a manner to save others. That you would sacrifice yourself for the protection of others... to be a hero. Really now, how many of us growing up have dreamed of being a hero? Rescuing someone from a bad guy or pulling someone from a burning building, we all want to be the hero. I know without any doubt now, that my little Zachary would be that hero. To him, Moose was in big trouble and he was not going to abandon him and he was willing to put himself back "in danger" if it meant helping his big brother. In something so simple to us adults (and really funny too), this little guy was acting to save his brother.
So, Zach slides back down taking the rope to Moose. Moose takes the rope and pulls it tight and starts his climb up the incline.

After about three steps he says, " I'm scared! I'm afraid that the knot is going to come undone!" Now this is a legitimate fear. Remember, Zach tied the rope to fencepost. Zach has a hard time tying his shoes! I work my way over to the neighbors yard and get to the fencepost and check out the knot. I wish Zach would tie his shoes as good as he tied that knot, because under no circumstances was that knot coming undone. I help Moose the last few feet to safety and throw Zach the rope for his climb out.

After several comedy of errors, he still can't get out, so Moose slides back down to help Zach out. When Zach gets to the top, he is soaking wet, but he has a smile on his face...my little hero! He rescued the trapped Moose. Patrick makes it back to "safety" again and all is well.