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When the Game Gets Tough, She Looks for Mom.

Có thể là hình ảnh về 3 người

At my daughter’s basketball tournament today, something small — but deeply moving — happened.

My younger daughter was out on the court, in the middle of a tense play, when she fumbled the ball and caused a turnover. I saw the look on her face — disappointed, frustrated. She scanned the crowd, looking for something, someone… and our eyes met.

I smiled. A big, full-hearted, “I love you no matter what” smile. Then I shouted, “You’re okay, keep going. Big defense now!”

She nodded and got back in the game.

A minute later, she was subbed out and sat down on the bench. As she glanced up at the stands again, my oldest — sitting beside me — leaned in and whispered, “Keep smiling at her, Mom. Keep smiling.”

I turned to her, surprised. “Why are you telling me to smile? I always smile at you guys.”

KENOLLL (@olson.kendall2) | TikTok

She looked at me, completely serious, and said, “That’s the thing. You always smile at us. And when we mess up, you keep smiling. And then we feel better and can keep playing again.”

I nearly lost it right there in the bleachers.

Sometimes, as parents, we forget how much weight our simple gestures carry. A smile might seem small — but to a child who’s under pressure to perform, it’s everything. It says, “You’re still loved. You’re still enough. Keep going.”

So to all the parents sitting in bleachers, stands, and sidelines — keep smiling.

They’re looking for us out there. And when they find us smiling back, it’s often just enough to help them try again.

Because love looks a lot like encouragement — and sometimes, it looks exactly like a mom’s smile.

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