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There’s a specific kind of quiet that settles over the house after everyone else is asleep. The day’s small collection of toys are tucked away, the dishwasher hums its low, steady rhythm, and the only light comes from the soft blue glow of a screen. It’s in these late hours I sometimes find myself watching stories of incredible strength, worlds away from my own still living room.
Lately, I’ve been so captivated by the story of a woman who seems to hold two different worlds in her hands. Her name is Mackenzie Dern. To many, she is a force — a world champion in Jiu-Jitsu, a fighter with a power that feels almost elemental inside the octagon. You can see the years of dedication in every movement, a lifetime of focus that is truly awesome to witness.
But it’s the moments between the fights that I’ve been thinking about. The interviews where she speaks about motherhood, about her daughter. The photos of her life outside the ring, which feels so familiar. It’s a gentle reminder that the fiercest people are often the softest, too. I read somewhere that becoming a mother gave her a new kind of focus, a different reason to be strong. That thought has stayed with me.
It makes me think about the different kinds of strength we all carry. The strength it takes to push your body to its absolute limit, and the strength it takes to sit patiently with a little one who needs you. The power to face an opponent, and the power to soothe a tearful face in the middle of the night. We’re so often taught to see these as separate things — the tough and the tender. But watching her, I’m not so sure they are.
Maybe they grow from the same root. Maybe the resilience we learn in our quietest moments is the same resilience that helps us face the world. Her story isn’t just about winning belts; it’s about the incredible capacity of a person to be both a storm and a safe harbor. A fighter, and a mom. It's a beautiful, honest, and powerful thing to see.
I wonder, what different kinds of strength do you find yourself holding today?
Lately, I’ve been so captivated by the story of a woman who seems to hold two different worlds in her hands. Her name is Mackenzie Dern. To many, she is a force — a world champion in Jiu-Jitsu, a fighter with a power that feels almost elemental inside the octagon. You can see the years of dedication in every movement, a lifetime of focus that is truly awesome to witness.
But it’s the moments between the fights that I’ve been thinking about. The interviews where she speaks about motherhood, about her daughter. The photos of her life outside the ring, which feels so familiar. It’s a gentle reminder that the fiercest people are often the softest, too. I read somewhere that becoming a mother gave her a new kind of focus, a different reason to be strong. That thought has stayed with me.
It makes me think about the different kinds of strength we all carry. The strength it takes to push your body to its absolute limit, and the strength it takes to sit patiently with a little one who needs you. The power to face an opponent, and the power to soothe a tearful face in the middle of the night. We’re so often taught to see these as separate things — the tough and the tender. But watching her, I’m not so sure they are.
Maybe they grow from the same root. Maybe the resilience we learn in our quietest moments is the same resilience that helps us face the world. Her story isn’t just about winning belts; it’s about the incredible capacity of a person to be both a storm and a safe harbor. A fighter, and a mom. It's a beautiful, honest, and powerful thing to see.
I wonder, what different kinds of strength do you find yourself holding today?
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