Our Story

Years ago, I got into the habit of taking a picture of the field during my kids’ games and posting it on Twitter with three simple words: "love my view." It was a small expression of gratitude for getting to watch my three sons and their teammates play. 

Like so many parents, I love to watch my kids play sports. Despite the nonstop driving to practices, last minute uniform washing and expensive equipment, I am keenly aware that my favorite place to be is in the stands or on the sidelines of my kids’ games. 

But anyone with experience in youth sports knows that, despite how much we love being there, we parents aren't particularly good at centering gratitude when we are watching a game. There can be a natural tension between competition and gratitude—it’s hard to feel grateful when you are angry about a bad call or frustrated with your kids’ playing time or disappointed with a tough loss.

My goal is to help change that.

I wondered, "how can I spread this message of appreciation to others?" What if I put those three short words—"love my view"—on a shirt or hat as an uncomplicated reminder of how much I love watching the kids play? Instead of the “o” in love, what if I put a symbol of what I love watching my kids do. It was just an idea, but I kept coming back to it because I knew there was something profound in its simple message. And it was clear that it resonated with others too. 

When my oldest son graduated from high school and my thirteen years of watching him play baseball came to an abrupt end in August after a championship loss in the New England Regionals, I witnessed a group of parents and players (and grandparents!) who were experiencing a shared sense of loss. After hundreds of hours spent together at the baseball field, we gathered up our stuff and filed out of the stands one last time. It was hard to believe it was over. 

The next day, as I scrolled through photos of my oldest son playing baseball as a six-year-old, a little leaguer and a high school senior, I realized something simple: I had loved my view and I knew I would miss it. 

When the days of playing come to an end, we will not miss the wins and losses or the good and bad calls. 

We will miss watching them play. And we will certainly miss the view.

This story and idea have evolved into an LLC called LOVE my view and our mission is for our products to help bring gratitude back to the game. 

UPDATE: He decided to play one more year—his final year before aging out. Other teammates he has played with for over a decade, who thought they were done, also decided to return. It was such a great season. We won the state again. And the last game in the regional finals was crushing, again. But getting one more season was such a blessing. Many of his teammates are continuing to play in college but for him, it's over. And that means it's over for his Dad and me too. 

It was such a great ride.  To read more about my thoughts about it being over, check out our blog here.