This is women supporting women. The entire world got to see more than just a race last night as these ladies embraced one another and congratulated the winner of the gold medal, Tatjana Schoenmaker.

I smiled as I watched this on my television screen in awe of their genuine joy for her. Lily King, Annie Lazor, and Kaylene Corbett stood with Schoenmaker in her shock as she realized she set a world record. They experienced it together. It was a beautiful moment to watch; I can’t imagine how much more beautiful it was for the women who lived it.

These four women taught the world a valuable lesson:: competition and friendship aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, for these women, friendship and competition go hand-in-hand and build off each other.

King and Lazor later said that training together pushed both of them to their best. That without their friend to compete against, they wouldn’t have gotten so fast. They helped each other. They motivated each other.

Instead of being jealous at the other’s success, they were inspired by it. They showed each other opportunities for growth and they gratefully jumped at those opportunities.

We can use this moment to guide our own relationships throughout our motherhood journey. Whether we are stay-at-home moms, moms that work outside the home, or somewhere in between, we are all parents who love our children and want to do our best.

And we are better together.

We need to teach our children this lesson not only with our words, but by our actions.

I once heard the analogy that as one woman rises, if she keeps holding hands with the woman below her, she will pull her up behind her. I love the visual that analogy creates. No one gets pushed down; they all rise together.

Let’s all vow to grab the hand of someone and pull them up along with us when we do find success. From what these women showed us, it seems like a pretty amazing way to live.

Originally posted on the author’s Facebook page.