If you have football family blood running through your veins I’d bet anything you understand this musical reference. If you don’t, let me help you. This song pays homage to the final week of summer vacation for the man of our house. He goes by husband and dad in our home, but in one week’s time he’ll be answering to Coach pretty much all the time. Please take a moment to listen to this perfect little ditty.
See, this is the last week of his summer hiatus before he returns to his job as a full-time football coach. So for all intents and purposes, this week marks the end of summertime for our family as a complete unit.
Check your calendar, it’s a thing people! I should know because this year marks my 27th final countdown. Yet each year it somehow sneaks up on me. Usually it’s the comments that get me, “You know, this weekend is probably the last time I’ll be able to go out for dinner until next year.” Or, “We better do that this week. You know this is my last week, right?” Or, “This’ll be the last time I take out the garbage.” It may sound like am taking literary liberties here, but I promise you that I’m not.
2019 family vacation to Cabo San Lucas
Why it catches me off guard is a conundrum. I see the fall-scented candles starting to line the shelves at the mall. I can smell the extra cinnamon in the air at our local coffee shop. I am sure the other morning walking our dog I felt a slight chill in the air. Oh, and of course I noticed our 2019-2020 season schedule was released the other day. But, it’s amazing how our family can get caught up in the new norm of having him around full time. We jam pack this special time with our treasured family vacation. Often we road trip to visit family and friends. We try to start and complete a few projects around our home with his help. In other words, we get comfortable having him back around the house. So I suppose it is a good thing it still catches me off guard.
Our week began innocently enough tuning into the 2019 Wimbledon Championship Men’s Singles match. What was to be a backdrop to our lazy Sunday morning turned into a match of historic proportions and a 4-hour, 57-minute commitment. You should know I am a one sport gal. My heart only has room for one sport and I choose football—more specifically the Philadelphia Eagles. After all, they graciously employ my husband and in turn provide us a wonderful home and life we truly love. The Philadelphia Eagles organization is an extension of our family and so all of my heart is fully committed to them.
Oh how I empathize with Mirka Federer during her husband’s match
But, this tennis match ambushed me. The camera panned the crowd and settled on the players family members. In a nano second I felt their stress, angst and sense of helplessness run amuck in my body. Moms desperately kissing good luck charms hanging from their necks. Wives running their hands through their coiffed hair and picking apart their manicured fingernails. My heart raced and my anxiety increased and I morphed into my emotionally vested sport watching self. I pounded the countertop, cheered emphatically for my guy and fist pumped the sky. In other words, I was all in. My husband was literally stunned. While I was thoroughly engrossed on the match my husband was focused on me. In 27 years of marriage he had never seen this side of me before. You may be wondering how in the world this is possible. Because he is always on the field coaching and I am always either in the stands or at home watching when my Incredible Hulk persona takes over me. Lucky for us both, I look really good in green.
And I can relate to the original HULK-Bill Bixby
So, as this countdown week creeps closer to zero I took a quiet moment alone to listen to my heart and assess the season ahead. I am hopeful yet cautious. I am excited for the promise of what is possible. I am indeed rejuvenated and ready to tackle another football season. I am prepared. And in the background I hear, “Allison, can you cut my hair today? It’s my last one for awhile, so let’s cut it very short.”
XOXO,
A little thing you should know: I truly hope all my fellow coaches’ wives have stored enough rays of sunshine and wonderful memories for their family to last the long, always exhausting and emotionally draining upcoming season. May you have more wins than losses, smiles than frowns and cheers than jeers!