..it aint about how hard you hit...it's about taking the hits and keep moving forward.

Awrighty, then. When my kids were little and I was sick, which was a rarity, I would pile up the Rocky movies 1-4, and watch them from my balcony seat on the couch. I love the movies because I am a complete sucker for the little guy overcoming odds and winning or better than winning, proving that he (substitute she), can work hard to overcome insurmountable odds.  When my kids got off the bus and came into the house and found me watching the Rocky movies they knew that something must be out of skew with mom. Such a barometer of me those movies have become.

There are other movies I watch when my mood or feelings need to be dragged out from a safe place within my heart and put on display where I can be vulnerable and open to whatever needs to happen to help me understand or to change. But, for me, there are only the Rocky movies for a total lift.

What do these movies mean to me?  These are movies we watch over and over again as a family. Each of us have our own reason for liking them. For my husband John, it is the choreographed boxing scenes cuz he used to box. For our son Jeff, it is the research he's done about the movies and getting involved in each of the characters. For Tyler it is just escapism and fun; just get it on, Dude! Me?  I just want to see two guys beating the heck out of each other and seeing the good guy redeem himself.  Until the recent Rocky Balboa, the last movie in the franchise, my favorite was Rocky IV.

In an exhibition match with Rocky's former friend, Apollo Creed, Drago, the Soviet Union champion, kills Apollo. But the match with Drago is more than redeeming the legacy of his friend, it's a match of strength, endurance and heart and it's the USA against Russia.  I love every minute of this movie (with the exception of the now dead soul singer James Brown...never liked him). I love the scenes pitting Rocky's primitive training techniques in the winter countryside of Russia against the high tech training in a polished gym with Drago and his Soviet team.  My body aches when I see Rocky (Stallone), do push ups and pull ups and seemingly elevate his body - a show of determination and strength and most of all the will of the human spirit. Against all odds, Rocky enters the ring to face Drago and he wins after grinding and punching through 15 rounds of blood and black eyes.

Rocky Balboa, the final (?) movie has become my friend.  Rocky has aged, his wife has died and his son doesn't like him very much. Rocky still has much to say about his life - he's just not done with who is is or who he once was. He agrees to an exhibition match with the current heavyweight world champion who has had easy matches where he has not had to "go the distance". Along comes Rocky.

But, there is more to this movie than Rocky's return to the ring:  his relationship with his son needs to be healed. His son is jealous of living in the big shadow of his dad.  In one of the best scenes in the movie his son, Robbie has confronted his dad in anger because Rocky has decided to participate in the exhibition match.

His son (a corporate executive in his 30s) is totally against the idea. His career is going nowhere and he blames his father for casting a big shadow over him. His friends make fun of him because of who his father is.
This is where the 60-year old Rocky gives his son a heart-to-heart reprimand about how he needs to stop blaming and take charge of his life. A saddened Rocky says he remembers when his son could fit in the palm of his hand. He says that he saw great potential in him and when he first started off in life, he did great. However,at some point, he changed. He lost his way and started blaming other things and people for his own misfortune. Telling him:

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life.  But it ain’t about how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. It’s How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.
Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not point fingers and blame other people. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!”

Once again Rocky has inspired me to take the punch and keep moving forward.  It's not about stopping or quitting, it's about getting up when the dimes roll and the hits come and declaring at the top of my voice, "I'm not quitting.  I'm not going to let the world define who I am. I am the master of my own destiny, the captain of my life and I can take the hit and keep moving forward!" Thanks, Rocky!