Hit the CELLY Button: Life Lessons I (re)learned from my 9-year-old

Last Saturday night I witnessed my nine-year old daughter Kennedy, living her best life.  Her hockey team was playing their final regular season game and with the support of her incredible teammates, Kennedy scored two goals and helped lead them to victory!  

For context, Kennedy is not a standout athlete.  She brings grit, tons of energy and always a smile, but has never been a leading goal scorer.  Something about that night was different.  The JV/High School girls hockey team came to cheer her team on.  Before the game, they visited with the girls, offered some words of advice and encouraged them to go out and have fun.  From where I sat in the stands, I could see they brought two hand-made posters and taped them to the glass.  One said, “Let’s Go ANOKA ROGERS!” and the other, a big, bold celly button poster.  

For those of you who do not speak fluent hockey…let me help you out.

Celly: celebration following a goal.

A celly can vary from a simple fist pump to pretending your stick is an air guitar to slamming into the boards and hitting the celly button—all to celebrate the goal that was scored, pump up your team and the fans in the crowd.

Again, I am not sure if it was the full glass of milk she slammed before we left for the rink, the pre-game pep talks or the visiting “celebs” in the crowd (girls hockey team), other than the usual boring suspects (Me, her Dad and brother Easton) but something came over Kennedy that night like I had never seen before.  

She was first to the puck and raced across the ice to pass, shoot, or score every chance she could get.  I watched in awe as she slammed her body against the boards to fully take advantage of the celly button and celebrate with her team after each goal.  Her new found competitive fire was infectious.  For a 9-year-old, who has maybe scored two goals the entire season, to go out and score two more and intentionally lead her team in energy and confidence...well, she got my attention.

So, I asked…

Me: “Kennedy, that was so much fun to watch!  I am curious, what came over you tonight?  Where did all your extra energy come from?”  

Kennedy: “I don’t know, I just really wanted to hit that celly button!  I wanted to be the one to pump up my team!  Winning is fun, Mom!”

Life Lessons I (re)learned from my 9-year-old:

• Making people feel special never goes out of style.  At a rink or in an office.  Face to face or on screens.  A hand-made poster board or a simple “I’m proud of you” is key to both individual and team wins.  We are never too young (or old) to hear “I believe in you!” or “You can do it!” and you never know when a player on your bench might step up and lead you to victory.  
• Find an excuse to hit the celly button.  When is the last time you stopped to celebrate your own success?  Reasons to celly: You made time to work out today.  You and your son or daughter shared a good belly laugh together. You made progress on a project at the office.  You and your partner shut off the tv and caught up on the day instead.  Take time to celebrate the wins, even the small ones.  Your teammates are watching.  They want to see you hit the celly button.  They need to see you hit the celly button.  Side note: be sure you are the loudest in the crowd when your teammates get the chance to hit the celly button too.  
• Winning is fun.  We have all heard it before (and I 100% subscribe to it), we either win or we learn.  While we do not always learn as much from winning, I have to admit, at least for me; winning is still more fun. It may be controversial, but as parents, Tony and I have made the decision to encourage our kids to go out and play to win.  To compete.  To lead.  To celly.  Bottom line, winning is fun and playing small does not score goals.

Kennedy Kate,

Thanks for your inspiration my dear girl. I plan on chasing more pucks.  I was born to hit the celly button.  Thank you for reminding me of the fire that lies within us all and the impact we can have when we decide to let our light shine.  

XOXO Mom

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“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

― Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"