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My 13-year-old daughter, Katie, is your teacher for today’s message.
She is the keeper (aka goalie) for her club soccer team, a detail you might remember from the He Ended the Game Early blog, which turned out to be quite popular!
Katie had just returned to playing after overcoming a bad ankle sprain and bone bruise earlier in the season when she had a collision in goal. We saw her grab her leg, and out of fear that she aggravated the earlier injury, we put all of our focus on her lower extremities.
She also mentioned that her pinky hurt.
She sat out the rest of the game, and we went home for ice and ibuprofen.
The next morning, she said her leg felt OK, but her finger hurt. As the keeper, she often jams fingers, so we did what we typically do: put a splint on it and sent her on her way.
When she got home from school, it was completely swollen and black and blue, so off to urgent care we went. I joked at check-in, “Haven’t we made it to our 10th punch on the punch card for a free visit?” They chuckled and charged our insurance accordingly!
X-rays showed a perfectly clean break at the base of her pinky.
As we sat waiting for her temporary cast to be applied, she turned to me and said, “I guess this means I won’t go to Arizona.”
There it was. The big worry I had the minute I saw her go down on the field. How were we going to break it to her that this injury meant she wouldn’t be able to play in a national soccer tournament in Arizona in November?
As it turns out, I didn’t need to break the news to her. She’d already done the math.
I turned to her and said, “Yes, this likely means you won’t go to Arizona. I’m really sorry.”
Her reply: “I’m just going to keep smiling so I don’t cry.”
How do you not want to cry hearing that?
I held myself together and was so proud of her for understanding her choice. She could choose to be upset or sad - both completely valid given the circumstances. Instead, she chose to smile.
And she kept making everyone else smile, too.
The next day, at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (big shoutout!), she got her cast. Her pinky and ring finger were bound together, creating a natural “live long and prosper” gesture. She flashed it to the nurses and had them laughing immediately.
Before the cast was even fully on, she asked if she could play in the weekend soccer tournament with it.
Yes, was the answer.
“Bet,” she said. (Translation: yay, great, terrific.)
She ended up playing striker that weekend and scored four goals.
The weekend we were supposed to be in Arizona, I knew we needed a family adventure. Katie has NEVER been to a concert and always asks to go. Usually it was too late (“Yes, but that show was last week”) or too expensive (yes, I stalked the Eras Tour site far too often last year hoping for a “cheap seat”).
I saw the Jonas Brothers were in town. None of us are super fans, but between Disney Channel and The Voice, we had enough appreciation.
Tickets purchased.
I listened to the set list on repeat in preparation and realized - dang - I had not given these guys enough credit. They put on a terrific show.
One of my favorite moments - Katie when Joe took the stage.
Don’t underestimate anyone’s resilience. They will teach you lessons you never anticipated.
Speaking of smiles, here’s a tip - especially if you’re someone who clears out your files at year-end: Create a SMILE FILE. A place for unexpected notes, appreciative emails, screenshots, and moments that lift you up. I’ve kept both a physical and a digital file for years, and it’s where I go when I need a pick-me-up.
Your turn: The next time you have a choice, will you choose to smile?
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