01/14/2026
One of our therapists got to attend the playoff game on Saturday and cannot stop talking about how unexpectedly therapeutic it was to scream in excitement with 74,000 other fans 🏈
Yes, it ended in heartbreak. But after years of rebuilding seasons, staff changes, and constant “maybe next year” energy, just being in a playoff game felt incredible. Nearly nine years of waiting built up into one electric night. Even standing in line for wildly overpriced concessions was joyful because the energy was that good. Workers were smiling. Strangers were talking. Everyone felt lucky to be there.
Honestly, it was the first time I’d felt that level of collective anticipation and joy since the Eras Tour- being surrounded by people who had waited so long to see the thing they love finally shine.
And then came the drum 🥁
Watching Panthers legends like Cam Newton, Wesley Walls, Jake Delhomme, Muhsin Muhammad, and Steve Smith step out to pound the iconic Keep Pounding drum was a full send for fans. It wasn’t just hype, it was history. A reminder of who built this team, who carried it through hard seasons, and why this moment mattered so much.
Keep Pounding was born during the Panthers’ 2004 playoff run, when Sam Mills shared his personal fight with cancer and urged the team to embody that same relentless spirit. Not perfection. Not easy wins. Just showing up again and again, even when it hurts.
From a therapy lens, this is what we call a glimmer✨✨
The loss stung, but the meaning didn’t disappear with the final score. Sometimes therapy isn’t a session or a worksheet; it’s collecting moments like this with an open mind and letting shared joy remind us that good things still exist 💙
