A Favorite Pasttime

Football season is upon us. You can definitely feel it in the air. That crispness that symbolizes my favorite season of all. Football has meant a lot to me over the years but that meaning has grown and developed as much as I have.

When I was young, football meant friends. It meant running around under the lights of a field on the west side of town...hiding between cars, buying taffy at the concession stand, listening to the marching band, and watching my sisters cheerlead. As I grew, I turned into the one marching in the band and cheerleading on the sidelines. I started to learn the ins and outs of football and looked forward to Friday nights.

In college, I ended up dating a football player and learned more about the game than I ever thought possible. Saturdays became a day of anticipation and anxiety, cheering on my Panthers and hoping Doug stayed healthy. Football caused me stress, stole my boy away from me a LOT, and gave me joy at the same time.

Now, with Doug as a coach, we're back to Friday nights. It's much different watching high school football in a dome (and I don't like it). Football still causes me stress (a loss means an unhappy husband for the weekend) and it still steals my boy away from me a LOT.

But it also still gives me joy. Football is a love that Doug and I share...one we hope to pass on to Jani. After this weekend, I think she's well on her way!