At Least It Isn't NASCAR

So. Listen. I once heard a women's speaker talk about marriage. Her point was that we need to find shared interests and that, if we can't find them, we need to MAKE THEM HAPPEN. She told about how her husband was a huge NASCAR fan and how she really hated NASCAR. But then, she started sitting down with her husband because, well, she wanted to spend time with him EVEN when he was watching NASCAR and, first, she found herself learning about racing. Then, she started to get to know certain drivers. Then she found herself LIKING certain drivers and then, CHEERING FOR CERTAIN DRIVERS! Now, she is a huge NASCAR fan. All because she wanted to spend some time with her NASCAR loving husband.

Let me interrupt this program to say that I would rather be tied up with chains while ants devoured my body one teensy, tiny, piece at a time than become a NASCAR fan.You can just kill me dead because I would prefer the grave to watching a car race drive around a circular track over and over and over and over and over and over again. Ask me what I love most about my husband and, well, up until this very moment I would have told you that I love his heart for Jesus. But that's only because I forgot about how he doesn't watch NASCAR*.

I totally get it though. NOT about NASCAR, but about spending time with your spouse and learning to love what they love. Or your close friends. Or your children. Really, this works with any significant relationship you have.

When I married my husband, I detested soccer. Hated it. And, in the interest of full disclosure, it's important for me to explain that I still don't really like soccer. But a weird thing has happened. I've become fascinated by the World Cup. I can't explain it. I watched A LOT of it this past year and I even watched it when my husband wasn't watching me watch it. As in, when he wasn't even home. 

Another weird things has happened. I've started yelling things at my children. Things like, "GO DOWN THE LINE!"

And, "TOP DEFENDER!"

Even, "GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLL!"

I've been so proud of my boys this season because they're really learning. Garrett is SUCH a good listener. He plays wherever the coach tells him to play and he doesn't try to be the star. He's one of the best defenders on the team. He's also one of the fastest kids, which makes him an asset. 

This year, the boys joined teams full of kids that had already been playing together for awhile. But they quickly began to fit in. Garrett, by proving his worth by following directions. He even managed to score once, despite the fact that he is very often found playing defense. And Matthew, by, well, by being a bit of a stud. Where his brother is just fine being a team player, this guy wants to be the star. (We're working on it.)

When he sets his mind to it (disclaimer: he doesn't always set his mind to it) he is FAST and SOLID and FAST and COMPETITIVE and FAST.

And he's scored 11 goals this season, with one game remaining.

I somehow find myself on the edge of my seat, somewhat crazy excited when one of my kids has a clear shot, internally howling things like, "BE AGGRESSIVE!"

It's taken eleven long years but, it's entirely possible that my husband and his soccer loving family and our soccer loving boys have finally rubbed off on me.

Don't get me wrong, I'd still choose football or swimming or track over soccer. But when the boys want to play it, well, I suppose that's fine.

I still draw the line at NASCAR.

*Okay. No. The fact that he doesn't watch NASCAR is not at the top of the list, by any means. BUT IT IS ON THE LIST!