It Takes A Village

Inspired by Maurice Cheeks

"I'm a father. I have two kids myself. I'd have wanted someone to help them if they could.''

Have you ever tried something new or encouraged someone else to try something new? If so, you know that new experiences can be nerve-racking. When we try new things, they rarely go perfectly at first, and nervous feelings can cause us to stumble. Many of us can recall at least one situation where our nerves got the best of us and we choked.

When that happens, people around us can help us keep our mistakes in perspective; they remind us that stumbling is normal and they encourage us to try again and expect better results next time. These experiences can help us grow, build self-confidence, and become more compassionate people. Parenthood is filled with these opportunities; opportunities to try new things and opportunities to encourage others who are trying new things.

Some parents who provide encouragement and compassion provide powerful examples for the rest of us.

Apparently that happened back in April of 2003 when working parent Maurice Cheeks, now a Basketball Hall of Famer and then the head coach for the Portland Trailblazers, helped a 13-year-old girl out because, as he said, ''I just saw a little girl in trouble and I went to help her. I'm a father. I have two kids myself. I'd have wanted someone to help them if they could.''

If you're not familiar with this story, take two minutes and watch what happened (or here from a better angle, but lower quality video). You won't regret it. It's a great reminder to all of us that there is a lot more power in building people up than tearing them down. Thank you for the reminder, Maurice. And congratulations on your recent induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Happy Ending: The girl who sang in the video is all grown up and pursuing a career in acting.

Maurice Cheeks is a father and assistant coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA team.

Similar story:

• Watch NBA Special Ref Jess Thompson help another littler girl who also struggled with the words back in the 1980s (and had an entertaining explanation).