When the Body Shows the Score
The Final Buzzer
It happens every year. In almost the exact same way. And yet every year I am equally moved by it.
It’s the body language after a basketball game.
One weekend a year, my husband Jeff and I travel to Birmingham, AL, to spend the weekend watching high school basketball state finals, one game after another. (It’s our annual lead up to watching college’s March Madness on TV.)
And after each game, once the final buzzer sounds, without looking at the scoreboard, it’s always obvious who won and who lost.
The bodies tell the score.
Expansion and Contraction
On one side of the gym, arms fly up. Legs leap up and down. Loud hoots and hollers spill out of mouths. Everyone hugs everyone near them. Exhilarated.
Complete expansion.
But on the other side of the gym, hands cover eyes. Heads go down. Everybody is quiet. Individual bodies may crumple onto the floor, solitary, alone. Exhausted.
Complete contraction.
It’s so human of us.
What Our Bodies Reveal
Sometimes we remain in tight command of our bodies, disguising what we’re feeling, but often our bodies give us away.
Happiness and sorrow we feel on the inside have a way of showing up on the outside. And again this year, I’m amazed as I watch it. Over and over and over.
Bessel van der Kolk may have said that the body keeps the score.
But we all demonstrate that the body shows the score, too.
Texas women celebrate win in Round 2 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 22, 2026 (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
What’s one small way your body reveals how you feel? Did you pick a winner for the NCAA tournament? (I chose Purdue; my bracket is in bad shape, but I still have a chance.)
Read more:
- How Present Are You in Your Happy Place?
I was literally in my happy place. Yet my mind wandered off anyway. Was my body still keeping the score? - What If Your Body Has Been Doing Her Best All Along?
A simple assignment led me to an unexpected realization—my body, although imperfect, has always been the best place for me to be. - When Compassion for Others Takes a Sharp Turn
Our mother/daughter experience donating blood took an unexpected turn, reminding me how fragile we really are.
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- Define It, Find Its Twin, Meet Its Opposite: 3 Ways to Revisit Your One Word
I’m not a big basketball fan, Lisa, although Danny and I both love college football. I suppose you can guess which team we root for – LOL!
Blessings, my friend!
I’m going to guess you’re a Bulldogs fan, Martha? ???? We’re Auburn fans, and it’s been a rough few years in football for us (again). Our basketball team has been much better though, so I’ve enjoyed those games more.
I love basketball, but I never really got into the whole March Madness thing. However, I do agree totally that our bodies definitely show on the outside what we are feeling on the inside. As I try hard to disguise sadness or pain, my husband always can tell. And I think it’s most notable in a person’s eyes what is going on inside…the windows of the soul, you know. xx
Well, when Jeff isn’t home, I never turn on a single basketball game on TV. ha. But if he’s home and watching, I’ll at least watch with one eye on the game. ???? I pay much better attention in person.
Yes, I love your point that it’s the eyes that often give away our emotions the most, to those who know what to look for in us. Jeff can always tell with me too. We have good men who know us. ❤️
Welp, I suffer from RBF (resting b*tch face), so that’s my first tell if anything might be sideways in my body 😉 But, I also get bags under my eyes and my skin hurts when I’m getting a fever. Not fun, but good tells 😉 I’m not a sport fan but I sure hope your bracket straightens itself out for you.
Most of my life I stayed much more in my head than my body, so paying attention to my body is somewhat new the past few years. I’m amazed by people who easily recognize what their body is telling them. Good for you in knowing your tells.
I just did a quick glance at my brackets…I’m now 4th out of 4 in our group. Um, I think I’ll just stop looking! lol. The winner gets to choose where we go out to eat, so I guess Red Lobster is out. 🙂
Yep, the body is showing the score and keeping the score. Some days it looks better than others, but I’m trying to listen to her as best I can.
Some days she wants to stay calm and still and other days she seems to be energetic and filled with purpose.
Whatever. She’s all I got.
Easter week blessings to you, dear friend.
“She’s all I got.” Yep. I’m learning to speak more kindly to her since she has done some pretty amazing things for me through the years. But yeah, she’s not as consistent as she used to be. 🙂 I just have to work with what she gives me.
Lisa, great post. I love your posts; they always give me so much to think about. Our bodies are pretty amazing. The other day my body needed rest. It was much needed.