In her blog, yogi (and mother) Dhana Musil commends Belgian tennis pro (and mother) Kim Clijsters on her definitive win over Serena Williams at the 2009 US Open. One mama applauding another.

Clijsters certainly exuded maturity and calm. Did motherhood spur this groundedness so evident in her expression? Or was she born this way?

Now, I am a big fan of the Williams sisters. Serena’s flamboyance and never-give-up tenacity is marvelous to behold. During this year’s Wimbledon, she was quoted as saying that when she’s down, she goes “kamikaze”; if she goes down, she wants to go down fighting. I respect that attitude.

But she lost it (big time) at the US Open. If she had kept her cool, she might have argued the line call, which experts agree was an erroneous foot fault. Even with the lost point, she had a chance, however slim, to regroup.

Watching her go ballistic, so to speak, was a cringe-worthy moment. I could empathize. I admit to my own occasional outbursts (nothing quite so showstopping, of course), which I invariably regret later. It might seem that passion and temper make for strong character, but dispassion and temperance are underrated. It’s uncool to lose your cool.