Last week, we talked about the importance of self care. This week, I was unexpectedly reminded of the beauty that occurs when we truly care for other people. An unlikely source – professional tennis player Victoria Azarenka – showed all of us what it’s like to put our interests aside and care for someone else. In a big match at the Rome Open this past week (see video below), Vika – as she is affectionately known – was in a tiebreak against rising star Daria Kasatkina. Vika hits a shot that dribbles over the net. Kasatkina sprints to reach the ball and rolls her ankle badly on the Italian clay court. She immediately goes down in immense pain. Vika quickly crosses over the net, runs to grab her opponent a bag of ice, applies the ice herself, soothes her opponent, helps aid her off the court, sits with her, kisses the top of her head, and offers her words of encouragement. It is a stunning video that actually brought tears to my eyes. Kasatkina had to retire from the match and Vika was declared the winner. But it wasn’t celebrated very much. Instead, we were left in awe of Victoria Azarenka’s selflessness, her true concern for an opponent in the middle of a tightly contested match.
Of course we need to take care of ourselves – or else we won’t be in a good place to help others. But I’m reminded of what we’re told in the Bible – over and over again, actually. The Lord tells us to look to the interests of others before ourselves. Such a challenge to us humans. Philippians 2:3-4 says, ‘Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.’
From a mental health standpoint, it helps TREMENDOUSLY to think about other people and intentionally get your focus off yourself. We have found that when people take their eyes off of themselves and look for ways to help or serve others, it does wonders for their mental health. People tend to suffer less depression and less anxiety when they look for ways to care for others. Thank you, Vika, for the reminder to us all. I’m going to be cheering for you at next week’s French Open.
(You can start watching at the 02:59 mark)
