Ready for Football?

9 September 2012

Football is back!  Blood has been drawn.  (Cue powerful brass NFL theme song and transformer-like player body slamming the TV screen.  Outstretched arms anticipating the pigskin cradled by the elbow and the end zone nearer by the second.

My daughter, father, and two nephews and I attended Vikings training camp.  Our daughter fell in  love with Devin Aroumashadu, #19.  We memorized the roster during the ride to Mankato, MN.  Blair Walsh, McLeod Bethel Thompson, Jarius Wright, Marcus Scherels, Chris Kluwe were some of the newer faces on the field that we all admired.  After practice, the players made it across the field and crosswalk to Mankato State's dorm and weight room.  There were around 90 bikes awaiting their returning owners after practice.

Most players ducked inside and returned dressed in shorts and a t-shirt for the evening ride to dinner.  Hanging out with my nephews and daughter, the kids would extend their sharpies and footballs for the autographs.  I love how the rookies take time, encourage and talk with the kids.

These perfect strangers allow us into their lives (granted...for a LOT of money).  We live vicariously through the roster cuts during pre-season.  We hold our breath when the game goes into overtime.  We thump our clenched fist and raise our voices at bad calls.  We soar when our team wins!  Disciplined practices lead up to these sinking and rising moments.

I'm on the practice field.  First quarter of pre-season recovery ends today, day 10.  Getting so cocky yesterday as I stayed up the whole day, had four additional kids over for play dates, attended three soccer games and made three homemade meals.  After that, I thought today would be proof I could handle real time life.  Not so much.  I fumbled around getting my daughter to Sunday School a few minutes late, barely made it through worship and crashed mildly after in front of the Vikings vs. Jaguars game.  This discipline will take time.  It's not pain, it's stamina.  Maybe this is why newborns sleep so much...they went through the trauma of birth and are exhausted!!!

Into the Green Bay vs. 49ers game, we glimpse former Viking, Randy Moss who disappointed last year.  (So, of course this will be a great year for him with the 49ers!  He even made the first touchdown for them!!!  How dare he!~)

So, I will show up to practice tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day and the next day as we move through these growing pang days of recovery.  I'm practicing not to be perfect, but faithful as a daughter of God, husband of batman, mother of three, and woman of strength.  Am I ready for some football?  YES!  Am I ready for full-time, regular life load?  Not yet...but it will come.  It will come.