By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

A priceless moment does not come with a blueprint.

Strange, right?

In a time when answers are everywhere, we are left to figure this out on our own.

Everything else is within seconds of our fingertips, the path to a priceless moment is still so unpredictable that you can’t find it through a search engine, can’t use your satellite-based navigation system to drive to it and you can’t ask your artificial intelligence assistant to create it for you.

I am probably not the only one who wouldn’t want a priceless moment to be that easy anyway.

Part of what makes that kind of memory so special, the ones that grab your life and fill your heart, is that they happen only when all of the right circumstances align perfectly.

Sometimes when you know it.

Better when they come as a surprise.

Either way, the only way to even unlock the possibility is to be present.

Living with connected awareness.

To be where your feet are.

To truly be there.

Our phones and devices are amazing pieces of technology that easily connect us to more people, near and far, like never before. They build and strengthen relationships effortlessly.

With the same ease, they can also distance us from the people who are right in front of us.

And distract us from the moments that are trying to be part of us.

We have all probably missed a priceless moment.

For the start of the 2025-26 athletic season, which officially begins today, be alert at all times. Be present and be a sponge to absorb as many priceless moments as possible.

Surround yourself with the people, words and experiences that can lead you there.

That advice can be relevant to the parents, family and friends sitting in the bleachers;

Or to the players, cheerleaders and band members on the field;

Or to the coaches, volunteers and student sections on the sidelines and beyond.

You don’t have to go to the games, you get to go to the games.

You get to share in the experience.

You get the chance at a priceless moment.

One that is as emotional as Senior Night or one as overlooked as the first-quarter sunset.

There will be plenty waiting for you in between, too.

Have the conversations, immerse yourself in the game and celebrate the nights that will one day be gone.

Spend less time comparing performances or complaining about playing time and more time appreciating the discipline, work ethic, patience, leadership, compromise and teamwork that is being instilled on a daily basis through healthy competition and being part of a team.

Before the game, be part of the spirit.

During the game, cheer, support and compete.

After the game, talk some, but listen more.

Because the next priceless moment is ready to find you.