Women

Today Elizabeth and I watched a documentary on African wildlife. There was a scene where a full-grown, adult, male lion came to kill a lioness’s cub. The cub was the offspring of his rival. He seemed to be getting rid of potential competition so he could become leader of the pride.

The male lion approached the pride with the intent to kill the cub. The cub’s mother, significantly smaller and physically outmatched, stepped boldly between her cub and the male lion. Elizabeth and I took a deep breath. This mother was about to die trying to save her cub. There was no scenario in which she would survive an attack by a full-grown male.

While the realization was sinking in, suddenly, five other lionesses from the pride came from behind her and attacked the male lion trying to kill her cub. The females of the pride knew that standing together to care for each other’s offspring was their best chance of survival. Evolution didn’t give them the girth and strength of a full-grown male, but they adapted by banding together and protecting each other.

I nearly cried at the sight of the lionesses working together to protect the most vulnerable in the pride. The pack of lionesses fought the male trying to kill the helpless cub and were successful in scaring off the attacker. He left defeated without getting near the cub.

Elizabeth and I exhaled as the mother was reunited with her cub surrounded by her fellow lionesses. Then Elizabeth said with complete sincerity, “Oh Mom, I really love women.”

I smiled and said, “Me too.”