It's football season again, and my son is entering his final year of Junior football. Two hours a night practice. Five nights a week. In the heat. And humidity.
Bleh.
So, no, not really. Not really that is, until the cooler weather comes...the crisp, cool air of fall. Then I'm ready. There is nothing like sitting outdoors in the fall, stadium blanket on the metal bleachers to keep your butt warm, your body wrapped in the blazing colors of your team, cow bell and horns at the ready for when they take the field and for when they score.
Then it's wonderful.
The rush of adrenaline as the ball carrier makes his way down the field; the screams of the parents, siblings and friends all around, cheering the young men on. The pride you feel in your own child, whether they are a star of the team, or just one of the important supporting cast. The hot dog from the snack stand. The raffles. Yes, then it is a wonderful time of year.
This year, it will also be sad, as this year will be his last for football. When we walk with him out onto the field at homecoming, when we say good-bye and good luck as they move onto High School, I will have a tear in my eye. So proud to have watched him grow from that tiny little boy in first grade, to the tall teen he has become. To know the private struggle he has overcome. The memories are wonderful.Am I ready for some football?
Hell yeah.
TMS
