I love football! Most people who know me, know that I enjoy the entire process of football. The preparation, the competition, and the strategy. The time leading up to the Super Bowl is an exciting time. The competition increases as each team knows that the next defeat will mean their season is over. Super Bowl Sunday is the only professional world championship in America held on just one day. This is a big reason why millions of individuals gather with family and friends to watch this competition. Well, maybe some are primarily interested in the commercials. When the playoffs determined the final two teams that would play in the huge event, I noticed something strange. I did not know a true 49ers or Ravens fan. A true fan is someone who actually supports their team prior to making the playoffs. But, what I did notice was that there were a lot of individuals talking about the two teams. Or more importantly, they were talking about the players and the coaches. People were deciding who to cheer for, based upon connecting to the stories of these warriors. The stories seemed to be endless this year, with these teams. Ray Lewis, Ravens, returning from an injury with a stellar performance, to go off into retirement; Colin Kapernick going from 2nd string to leading the 49ers offense; Big Mike Oher, from the movie “The Blind Side”, the starting tackle for the Ravens, changing his stars; Patrick Willis, the fierce linebacker for the 49ers, who shows how hard work has paid off; Sean Considine, Byron, IL, standout, igniting the Ravens’ special teams; and of course the two dynamic brothers making history by coaching their teams in sibling rivalry. As we were preparing the house for the celebration, I was looking forward to family and friends coming together to share and make memories. I was not disappointed. The house was full of people sharing stories of soon-to-be moms, of adventures at college, and of course, of football games in the past. What I enjoyed the most, as we gathered to watch the game, was connecting with each other, and adding to our own stories. The game held some memorable moments: the Ravens’ first half domination, the power outage, the 49ers launching a comeback, and the Ravens holding strong to secure a victory. The game was memorable, but the opportunity to connect with family and friends will live in my heart forever.
Choose to make memories with the ones you are closest to. Go Bears!
Sincerely, Kevin Polky, CADC,LCSW