Thursday, September 10, 2009

The widow

Okay ladies, put on your black, stop the clocks, and get out your tissues. Today was the mark of a very sad and hard time in many of our lives... opening day of football. For many of us wives this was a bitter sweet day. On one hand I love football. I enjoy getting up on Sundays, putting on my blue and silver and yelling at the TV... for one game. On the other hand, I loose my husband to fantasy football, hours and hours of Fox Sports Northwest on top of hours of games, and in some very sad cases face paint. Yes today was a day to pout and be sad.

The brakes went out on my husbands car and he started to fix it yesterday. He realized that he needed a part that he didn't have after the parts place had closed. I assumed he would be right on it right after work today. I was wrong. When I asked him why he was half naked sitting next to a pile of laundry that needed to be folded, he got a big smile on his face and responded with "today is the best day of the year" and pointed at the TV.  "There will always be tomorrow to fix the car, today there is football."

Five years ago I realized that this football obsession was here to stay and that I could embrace it, get divorced, or live with being a football widow for 4 to 5 months out of the year. The second two sounded like a lot of work and sadness (I'm too lazy for either). So I put on my brave panties and decided to embrace it. Now, when I go for something it's all the way, and this situation was no different. I joined 2 fantasy football leagues that year. One was a random one that I found on a sports website. I joined that one because I didn't know anyone on it and it was a good place for me to really try things out and learn for myself how to play. The other league was made up of the groomsmen from our wedding and a few other guys that my husband has been playing with for years... and oh, did I mention that my husband was also on the league? I don't know if he was happy, maybe a little turned on, or utterly scared that I was a team owner on his league, but I will never forget his face when I told him. It was a cross between ready to puke and surprise.

I took first place in his league that year... and the crowd stands to do the wave. He didn't think that me beating him was cool (probably his worst fear come true) but he told me that I had never done anything that had meant more to him. I was a little offended since by this point I had planned a wedding, had 2 kids with him, and given up my career to play into his June Cleaver fantasies. He explained that the fact that I had taken so much interest in something that was that important to him was an act of my love for him. I still think he was being a little mellow dramatic, but it was true.

I gave up doing things on Sundays (sometimes even church) to wear my Seahawk colors, drink beer, and eat chips. I gave up talking to my husband about preschools and play dates for looooong conversations about about the importance of running backs and a good QB, WR combo for fantasy teams. What did I get out of all of this crazy town football loving maham? A better marriage. A better friend. Great communication.

So, today may have been a sad day for you or a friend of yours. But, hope is not lost. I encourage all of you that have football fanatics under your roof to do what I did and embrace it. It actually is a fun game to watch and you won't believe how cool guys think you are when you know what a flea flicker is. Embracing a passion for something like football also encourages us moms to take a brake, smell the roses (or chicken wings and beer in this case), and enjoy our men. After all, "there will always be tomorrow to fix the car, today there is football."

6 comments:

  1. I can vouch first hand for Josh's obsession with football!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Great post Lindsey-and thanks for dressing Josh for the picture. Kathryn I

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  2. I can't believe that I'm still apologizing for him years later... we now turn the ringer off during football games (then he won't yell at my friends when they call).
    Getting him dressed was the hard par, I had to wait for a commercial and promise him that I would fetch a beer:) ~Linds

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  3. Great post Lindsey... I laughed threw the whole thing because I know how Josh is when it comes to "his" football. But I also have to thank you... you shared this story with me a couple of years ago and got me involved with Fantasy football. And even though I always watched the Seahawks play, it's so different now being more involved. (Even though I don't think anyone can top Josh in his obsession!)
    Thanks again for sharing with us!
    -Monica C.

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  4. I had to have Greg read this post so we sat here this morning getting more good laughs! :) Love it. Stop apologizing! I guess I could stop bugging you too...but it's kinda fun... :) I'm anonymous because I don't have any of the other profiles. Not THAT up to speed yet. Kathryn I

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  5. Ok, most of what linds said was true. She didnt have to trick me into getting dressed. I was wearing my work clothes to fix the car. And although I didnt actually do anything to the car that day... I did drive to the part store so that counts. Lindsey should feel blessed that football is the only pro sport that I'm passionate about anymore. It used to be basketball, and boxing as well in my younger years.
    - Josh "the fanatic"

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  6. I can relate to this even though I don't have a husband who cares about football. I have an eight year old son who is a fanatic about baseball! Neither my husband or I could care less about baseball but as our son got more and more interested it was clear that we could 1) not pay any attention to this growing passion in his life, 2) Try to steer him back to the things that interested the rest of the family, or 3) Give baseball a chance. Needless to say, we chose baseball! As Lindsey says, it has opened a whole new world and our son knows how much we love him AND his love of baseball. We have become a total Mariners family. Who knows, the Seahawks could be next! Good post Lindsey!

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