As I sit here on a Sunday afternoon watching the Dallas Cowboys get destroyed by the New Orleans Saints, I wanted to write out the thoughts I've wanted to share lately. Since the beginning of the fall semester, I haven't been able to write as much as I would have liked. Well, I'm writing a lot, but not about this. :)
Growing up, my parents did a great job of teaching my brothers and me that sports aren't everything. We didn't miss church services for sporting events. None of us played travel ball. My parents never yelled anything negative from the stands. They wouldn't let us quit a sport in the middle of the season, but otherwise, we were never expected to perform a certain way. We were never told how we should have done better. They encouraged us, and they made sure we always knew God comes first. That is something I still believe. I make a case for watching sports in the remaining paragraphs, but ultimately, I still know that sports are not the most important thing.
But since the end of May, I've been able to see sports a little differently. Since getting home from the hospital on May 31, we have watched the NCAA college baseball and softball playoffs, Major League Baseball, a lot of the Olympics, and college football. I've been a Texas Rangers fan for as long as I can remember, and Ty and I are big Oklahoma State Cowboys fans. Ty grew up being a TCU fan, so we cheer for them too. And today I'm watching the first NFL game I've watched in years (aside from the Super Bowl and Thanksgiving Day games).
You might think, "How in the world have sports been helpful lately?" Well, for the most part, when I watch sports, there is nothing there to remind me of my loss. A TV show or movie may talk about a pregnancy, a baby, or a parent. Sports may show a baby in the stands, but unlike TV shows, the baby is not the main focus of the sporting event. Sports don't center around a pregnancy or a baby. I don't hear a baby crying when I watch sports. I'm not constantly seeing an announcement that hurts my heart. Sports don't remind me of all the triggers I've had to deal with lately.
Instead, sports feel relaxing. Sports allow my mind to be calm and enjoy what I'm watching. I've been learning about mental health grounding exercises lately, and I have felt like sports are a form of grounding for me. I can sit down, watch a game, and enjoy the game without fear of a big trigger coming along. After sharing this with someone recently, I heard that other people have experienced the benefits of watching sports after a loss as well.
Sports are fun. Sports are enjoyable, sometimes inspiring, sometimes funny. Sports are something I can get into, especially in a close game or match. Occasionally, the camera will show a baby in the stands or talk about an athlete's baby, but that is never the focus of the entire broadcast (thankfully).
I don't really have a good conclusion for this post. So all I'll leave with is... Go Pokes!