March 22

Brady's team lost something of a heartbreaker tonight.

The very competitive, low-scoring affair concluded when the pitcher overthrew the ball to first base in the bottom of the final inning. Tying run scored. Winning run scored. His face fell. He didn't actually burst into tears, but I could tell he was on the cusp.

As a mom, it hits my heart in a tender place whenever any kid makes a goof of that magnitude. 

But it's a learning experience: It's okay to be imperfect and it's okay to even lose sometimes. But it's not okay to be mean or unkind when mistakes happen. So I'm grateful for every kid on the team who patted the pitcher on the back and told him good game. And I'm grateful for experiences like this that teach us the value of being compassionate at all times.