The Gift of Steady Presence

She was nervous stepping up in front of the crowd.
Big moments like this made her stomach tighten just a bit.

As the preschoolers shuffled into place—wiggly bodies, whispered questions, tiny shoes scraping the floor—our granddaughter Bristol scanned the room. Not for applause. Not for approval. Just for someone familiar.

Then she saw her.

A few rows back sat her grandma Pam. Calm. Present. Steady.

The moment Bristol locked eyes with her, something shifted. The tension softened. A smile crept in. In the middle of the noise and movement, Bristol lifted her hand and signed, “I love you.”

It wasn’t part of the program.
It wasn’t rehearsed.
It wasn’t loud.

It was something she’d seen Pam do for her—again and again—when words weren’t needed.

Across the room, Pam returned the sign. No fanfare. Just connection.

And in that small exchange, peace showed up.

The songs went on. The kids fidgeted. The room stayed chaotic.
But for one little girl, everything felt grounded again.

Leadership doesn’t always look like standing at the front.
Sometimes it looks like being visible when someone is looking for safety.

Sometimes it’s the smallest things—eye contact, a familiar gesture, a shared language—that cut through stress and bring calm.

And sometimes, the most powerful thing we do all day…
is simply let someone know they’re not alone.