I don’t like stressy things which is why it’s God’s hysterical joke that I am a Division I basketball coach’s wife.
Saul and I knew each other as kids and we reconnected as young adults. As I sat across from him in that Italian restaurant on our first real date, he told me he was never going to get married because the life of a coach is too unstable.
Four months later we were engaged.
The hardest part of being a coach’s wife isn’t the amount my husband travels or the fear of moving after each season. It’s the games.
Everyone in the arena is screaming their heads off thinking this is great fun and I’m counting the minutes until it’s over. To me, basketball is stressy and as I’ve already mentioned, I hate stressy things.
That’s why this most recent act of kindness is so special to me. My friend, Liz, made me an eye-spy checklist to play at the basketball games. I can use it when the games are getting close and well, extra stressy.
I get to look for things like “a grown adult dancing” and “somebody with headphones on their head.”
Liz sat next to me as I gave it a try.
“Twins – or two people who are dressed alike.” I nailed this one.
“Somebody eating a pretzel.” Liz had to point this one out for me.
As I began looking around the stadium, my perspective changed. The stress left my body and I began to feel very grateful.
For the students who hold up an hysterical giant head of my husband.
For my dear friend who sits a few sections away in a white vest with her husband.
For my new pastor who is way too funny to be a man of God.
And look, I even found my lost tupperware container.
If life feels stressy to you right now, how about joining in my game? You don’t have to look for people eating pretzels, but how about shifting your perspective so you’re seeing all the people in your life who believe in you, who are cheering you on, who are part of your team.
I bet if you look very closely, there’s enough of them to fill a stadium.
