Football season is over.
I think we need to pause here for a moment of silence, of mourning…of WARMTH.
It was getting COLD sitting out there in the stands.
But my boys are worth it.
However, it was with great sadness that I couldn’t attend the final game of the season – the first playoff game. A five hour drive (one way), the game fell on a Tuesday night two days before I left for a big conference. Regardless of how I tried, I couldn’t make it work.
So I sat in my kitchen.
Alone.
Wrapped in a sympathy scarf. (a huge thank you to my pal Darlene Guinn for her compassion in outfitting me with my specialized Football Mom scarf!)
See, we had the storm of the century that night. Driving rain, 50 mph winds, 34 degrees. I shivered just listening to it on the radio. Peter said he couldn’t feel his arms five minutes into the first quarter. The refs had to hold the ball down until the center could take it for the snap. The fact that the Vikings even completed a pass is nothing short of a miracle.
And, speaking of miracles, God showed up.
The team shivered their way through the half-time pep talk, trying to find some warmth from the bus heaters. Peter said he’d never been so cold in his entire life. (And let’s remember, we lived in SIBERIA once upon a time!) As they were exiting the bus for the second half, the heat hadn’t touched their core.
But see, God is on my side. My MOTHER’s side. He might not care about the score, but He cares about my son.
As they stepped onto the field, a nearby transformer exploded from the storm.
The lights on the field blinked out.
The team had to retreat to the bus for another thirty minutes until they found a backup. I think had they continued onto that field, the entire team might have ended up in the ER, suffering from Hypothermia. (And let’s add here, that the coaches were pretty cold too).
However, by the time they took the field again, they could feel their toes, their arms, their fingers. And their spirits.
No, they lost, but the boys played their hearts out. They ended well, albeit cold. I was proud.
I worried/prayed/paced him home, still up when he pulled in at 3am. Then I wrapped him in a blankie and poured hot cocoa down his gullet. Because that’s what we mothers do, donchaknow.
So, the season is over. Basketball is on the horizon. I leave you with this, a glimpse of the fun. (it’s just a sort of flaky home video, but it captures the fun in the stands – as well as my husband’s Vuvuzella! Pay special attention to big #33!)
This has been your Cook County Vikings Football Mom report. Thank you for tuning in. See you next year!