community, culture of the team, and being brothers. The connection, joy, love, and camaraderie were awe inspiring. Their coach talks about the difference of “Love ya vs. Love you” and how profound that difference is. This team gets “love you”.
The Friday night of Christopher’s injury is forever embedded in my memory. As soon as I got to him on the gurney on the sidelines
and saw the two trainers from opposing schools give me the look, I knew it was bad. He was a mess. His brother came to my side and was also crying…saying he should have protected his brother, which absolutely was not the case.
Christopher’s older brother Gavin carried him to the car and then to his bed once we got home. Thank God he was there. Christopher, Declan, and I laid in that bed and wept. We mourned over a dream that was not going to come to fruition. Declan stated it best: “I just wanted to have this season to play with my brother.” This is “love you vs. love ya.”
While we replayed the events of that night and watched the injury over and over on film, I asked the boys, “what are you beyond football?” This cannot define you because as we know it is fleeting. What are you taking from this experience and these life lessons that will make you a greater human? A greater man?” It was one of my favorite conversations we have ever had. We all stopped and paused. Including me. Life needs many pillars we can lean on. All our eggs in one basket is a recipe for disaster. How do we find multiple areas of joy in our lives? If we look, there are many.
A few weeks later Christopher had surgery on his knee to rebuild his ACL and repair two meniscus tears. The doctor was very intentional to me and said “mom, his knee was very injured. This was a big surgery.” He took Christopher’s quad muscle and his PT band to rebuild it. I think now it may be bionic.
Christopher’s surgery was on a Friday. It took 6 hours. Meanwhile, Declan is playing
under the Friday night lights worrying about his big brother. And I’m worried about him and me not being at a game. Frustratingly, we can only be one place at a time. Thank God for Hudl!
As soon as the game was over the team came over to surround Christopher with their support. Thankfully he was still under the pain relief medicine and enjoyed the moment of friendship immensely! He felt needed and missed and loved. Which he truly is.