TG recently began doing competitive cheer, and I’ve discovered many things not to love about it.

• It’s expensive.  Why did no one tell me that cheer is the most expensive undertaking on the planet?
• It’s time-consuming.  The travel time alone to practices (at least they are in St. Louis County) and competitions (some of which are 3+ hours away) is staggering.
• It places unreasonable demands on children and their families, like a charging a fee for missing a practice, even if it’s for an illness or a death.  And demanding that everyone have straight hair.  I can’t even talk about that or we will be here forever. Let me just say that TG is a black girl with natural hair; straight isn’t a thing her hair  does.

Walking into her first competition didn’t endear the sport to me any.  I saw overly made up little girls with big hair and enormous hair bows.  I wasn’t enthused.

Then the competition began.

And I saw athleticism, team work, and pure joy.

I saw every reason to love a sport that makes my daughter so happy.