Putting a smile on kids, putting a smile on families' faces

In the age of fame and fleeting glory, where applause often blinds men to the truth of their calling, the athlete DeMarcus Cousins spoke words of enduring wisdom: “Putting a smile on kids, putting a smile on families’ faces, changing people’s lives with your so-called status and celebrity with your so-called impact, that’s reality.” These are not the words of one intoxicated by the lights of the arena, but of one who has looked beyond them, who has seen that the truest measure of greatness is not in trophies but in lives touched and spirits lifted.

At the heart of this saying lies the recognition that status and celebrity are but illusions—names, images, and reputations magnified by the crowd’s gaze. Cousins calls them “so-called”, reminding us that these things have no weight unless they are used with purpose. What gives them reality is not the attention they attract but the good they accomplish. A man may be adored by millions, yet if he leaves no smile, no hope, no healing behind him, then he has lived in shadows, not in truth.

To put a smile on kids, to brighten the day of families, is to take the mantle of influence and bend it toward love. The ancients revered such acts. Recall the story of Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome, who wrote in his meditations that true greatness lies not in ruling nations but in caring for the people entrusted to you. Though the emperor commanded legions, he measured his worth by whether he had served others with justice and kindness. In the same spirit, Cousins declares that joy and compassion, not applause, are the foundations of reality.

We can see this principle in the life of Roberto Clemente, the great baseball player who perished while delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. He too possessed status and celebrity, yet he did not cling to them for his own glory. Instead, he used them as a bridge to serve others, to change lives beyond the diamond. Clemente’s legacy endures not only for his brilliance on the field, but for his sacrifice off it—proof that impact measured in compassion outlives statistics and records.

Cousins’ words also challenge the temptation of vanity. Many who achieve fame grow lost in themselves, believing that impact is found in self-promotion, wealth, or recognition. But he teaches us that reality is something humbler, more enduring: the laughter of a child, the relief of a family, the lifting of a burden from another’s shoulders. This is the impact that cannot fade, because it is woven into the lives of others, not etched only in the dust of personal triumphs.

The lesson is clear: whatever influence you possess—whether great or small, public or hidden—use it for others. Share your resources, your skills, your compassion. Seek the smiles you can create, for they are treasures greater than gold. Do not despise the small acts of kindness, for even a single smile can ripple through generations, shaping lives in ways unseen. Reality is not in the titles you hold, but in the joy you bring and the love you sow.

So let DeMarcus Cousins’ words endure as a teaching for all: “Putting a smile on kids… that’s reality.” Carry them as a compass in your own life. Ask yourself not, “What did I achieve for myself today?” but “Whose life did I touch? Whose burden did I ease? Whose face did I make brighter?” For when the lights of fame go out, when the crowd’s voice grows silent, the smiles you have given will remain, shining like eternal stars upon the fabric of reality.