Dr. Tim Thayne Presents:
I am an unlikely wrestling mom. I had never been interested in the sport nor did I have any intention of ever being involved in it. When I first started attending matches I couldn’t tell you who was winning, why they were winning, or what it meant when the ref in the center of the ring kept raising his arms. But, my husband grew up in the Midwest and he and his brothers all wrestled in High School. When we had our boys, that became a language we spoke in our home. We became a wrestling family.
Two years ago, my youngest son was a senior in high school. He was captain of the varsity team and this was the time that all of his wrestling dreams were going to come true. He had worked hard for many years and was excited to accomplish some big goals that season.
Let me tell you about the first duel of the year. It was a home duel at our high school gym. We walked in and we couldn’t believe it. It was amazing! There was a giant crowd of people. Normally at a wrestling event there are about seven spectators. This duel was with a rival high school that was just down the street. Everybody was local and there was a huge crowd in attendance.
Now, something fun that happened when it was a home duel was that each wrestler got to choose what was called a “walkout song.” It was a way for the wrestler to communicate to his opponent “Hey, I’m going to walk out, shake your hand, then I’m going to crush you!” Kids normally chose high energy songs like “Make Way for the King” by Ohana Bam. It was a total pump-up moment.
The duel began and the points were close. Our wrestler would win a match, then the other school would win a match. The wins went back and forth so the team points were tight. We finally got to the 170 lb. weight class, which is what my son wrestled, and the nerves kicked in. He needed to not only win his match, but he needed to pin his opponent to get the most points for his team.
We were eager to hear what his walkout song was going to be. So, as my son approached the center of the mat, instead of hearing a heavy beat, high energy song, we heard delightful guitar music filter through the loudspeakers and John Denver’s silky smooth voice sing “Almost Heaven, West Virginia…”And the crowd literally laughed. Everyone in the crowd started laughing because it was such an unusual choice. If you panned around the gym, you would have seen everyone giggling, and then if you stopped on me, you would’ve seen that I was crying. What they didn’t know and what you don’t know is that this song had special significance to my family.
We have a daughter who is two years older than my son. She left home about six months prior, was living in West Virginia, and would be there for 18 months. And then, before she got home, he would be leaving home and would be gone for an additional two years. So essentially these two kids wouldn’t see each other for about three years. They are extremely close and missed each other terribly. This walkout song was an homage to his sister. It was his way of keeping her there with him and the connection between them strong.
Anyway, fast forward, we got down to business, and the match started. In wrestling there is something called blood time. If the referee sees that one of the athletes starts to bleed, he will stop the match and helpers will come in, stop the bleeding, and wipe the blood from the mat and the athletes. Oftentimes during the pause in the action, the announcer would play the walkout song again to entertain the crowd.
Now, for whatever reason there seemed to be a lot of blood time when my son wrestled. He enjoyed a good cross face. This match was no exception. His opponent got a bloody nose, and they stopped the match to clean everyone up. They started playing John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” song again and the most amazing thing happened. This time, instead of laughing when it got to the chorus, everyone started to sing! The home team fans, the opposing team fans, the wrestlers, the concession stand workers…everyone! You could clearly hear the words “Country roads, take me home. To the place I belong!” And they got loud when they sang the words “I BELONG!” I looked around and it was an unexpected magical moment in this sweaty, hot gym.
There was something about this event that spoke to me. Moments before everybody was riled up, yelling, and divided. This song somehow brought everyone together. I realized that the thought of going home and belonging strikes a chord deep within each of us.We all want to belong. We want to belong to something or to someone. To a cause, to a group, to a family. It was a beautiful reminder that in a world that is often divided, we can all create a place of belonging.
I learned that lesson in a dark, sweaty gym full of high school wrestlers and their families. A most unlikely place.
– Michelle Westerlind
Michelle Westerlind is a mother, grandmother, and wannabe Netflix baking competition contestant. Her college-age kids keep her young by taking her on their climbing and canyoneering adventures. She and her husband of 27 years can be found most weekends mountain biking in the hills above their home.
Dr. Tim Thayne Presents:
Mike is one of those brilliant, self-taught, back end developers that you always hear about. As a youth he could trust that “My mother would love me no matter what . . .” When he isn’t cranking out new code, Mike keeps up on the newest technologies and every Tuesday and Thursday nights he trains SpeedSoft with his team.
Rafael has his degree in Marketing and Advertising and years of experience with our dev team. As a teen he could trust that “The most important thing in life is love, and the most valuable things are our family and friends.” When he isn’t working on making the website and mobile versions of Trustyy seamless and functional, he unwinds by exploring nature. His favorite activities are climbing mountains, camping, going to the beach, swimming, playing the harmonica and always learning new things.
Afton’s experience is in marketing and bookkeeping. As a teen she could trust that with her parents “Feeding the horses and milking the cow each day before school–not after–was a must.” When she isn’t busy with keeping Trustyy’s lights on, you’ll usually find her baking up a new treat or working on a sewing project.
Nicoli has a degree in Multimedia Production. She has worked with our team of developers for three years. She learned to trust her own parents when they taught her “Things won’t come easy and that working hard will bring me great blessings!” When she isn’t putting together beautiful marketing pieces for the Trustyy App she likes to take pictures, play the guitar, piano, and drums, and meet up with her family to laugh over the silly things they did as kids.
Adriano is certified in Analysis and Systems Development. In his family he could trust the fact that “One difficult experience teaches me that failure is not the end, but rather an opportunity for growth and learning.” When he is away from his work in making sure the Trustyy App buttons and bells and whistles are working properly, he likes to go to the gym, to the beach to surf, on walks with his dog, or go out with his girlfriend.
Lucas’s work experience is in User Experience, Interface Design and Product Management. As a teen he could trust that “In my home honesty was highly valued and lying was not tolerated.” When he isn’t at work making sure the Trustyy App is easy on the eyes, Lucas likes hiking, gaming, going out for dinner, and spending time with family.
Cadu has his education in Analysis and System Development. While growing up he could always trust that “My parents would be there to support from playing soccer at the park to learning to ride a bike.” When he isn’t making sure things are easily navigated for our Trustyy App users, he likes to play beach soccer and enjoy music of any type, but specifically rock, country, R&B, and pop.
Mike is one of those brilliant, self-taught, back-end developers that you always hear about. As a youth he could trust that “My mother would love me no matter what.” When he isn’t cranking out new code, Mike keeps up on the newest technologies and every Tuesday and Thursday nights he trains SpeedSoft with his team.
Roxanne received her bachelor’s degree in history and secondary education. She has worked in publishing and marketing for the past 14 years. In her family Roxanne says she could trust that “Her grammar and posture would be consistently corrected, to help her to become a lady.” When she isn’t busy writing and beautifying things for the Trustyy App, you can find her reading biographies, practicing yoga, or gathering the family to talk business, celebrate wins or just plain hang out.
Sidney has a bachelor’s degree in Web Development and has worked in technology for 16 years, building apps for the last 10 years. Growing up he could trust that “It was always expected that I would fix anything related to technology.” When he isn’t managing the development of the Trustyy App, you will find him spending time with his wife and kids. He loves to make Brazillian BBQ with his family.
Jim has a degree in Design and over 25 years of experience creating SaaS products and managing talented product and development teams. In his years at home as the oldest of five he could trust that “Each child got a weekly ‘night-up’ where we got to stay up late with a parent and do anything we wanted with them.” When he isn’t looking 10 miles down the road for what will come next on the Trustyy App, you will find Jim canyoneering, doing photography, watercolor painting, or keeping up on the latest gadgets and technologies.
Eric earned his degree in Communications, Public Relations and Advertising, then added on an MBA. He says he could trust that “His parents were honest people who kept their commitments–especially to their kids.” When Eric isn’t keeping everyone at Trustyy on task, he is an outdoor enthusiast, year around, rain or shine, cold or hot, with biking in the summer and skiing in the winter.
Tim earned masters and doctoral degrees in Marriage and Family Therapy, and has 30 years of experience working with families. While growing up Tim says he could trust that “My mother would love me no matter what, and that my dad would require that I respect my mother.” When he isn’t busy guiding the vision for the Trustyy App, you can find Tim working around the house and yard, taking care of his sheep, dogs and horses, or enjoying a game of Corn Hole with the family.
