Proof that showing up matters.
When a child scans a crowd and locks eyes with their parent, it triggers a sudden drop in cortisol (stress) and a massive spike in oxytocin (bonding).
Psychologists call this "emotional refueling". A child explores the world or performs on a stage, but they must constantly check back with their primary attachment figure to recharge their sense of safety.
When you show up, you are not just watching a school play. You are acting as a psychological mirror. Your smile tells their nervous system: "You are safe, you are seen, and you matter."
Most wisdom comes from painful experiences. Every time someone shares a piece of wisdom with you, remember they paid for that, in one way or another. Value that type of life experience and those kinds of life experience talks.