sup·port (er) [suh-pawrt] - to sustain (a person, the mind, spirits, courage, etc.) under trial or affliction
I've been absent for a few weeks. The hustle and bustle of life has kept me pretty busy. But I've had a couple of hours of time sitting on an airplane and I've had some time to catch up on my rugby news, read what others have been writing and to think.
So what I'm writing about here isn't so much about rugby as it is about life. I've been sitting on this for awhile and I kinda need to get something off my mind.
I love my life. I have been blessed with drive, grace, empathy and a sense of purpose. This year I've watched all of those things collide time and time again. I've been tested and lost my way, only to find myself surrounded by friends and guided by faith. And now I find myself with a strong wind at my back and my new direction charted.
This is in sharp contrast to others I care about.
This year, two players, whom I'm blessed to call friends, have had leg injuries that not only upended their careers, but their entire lives. Their stories are their own to tell and most of you who read this know them. Their friendship has been part of what has guided me this year. I've spent a lot of time thinking about them and the new courses they are charting. They leave me speechless. There is nothing I can say that would equate what I think of them or feel in my heart. As my friends heal, I hope they see in themselves what I see.
You see, when you watch a player, a friend, a brother be broken by the game, you get a new perspective. A new perspective on your friends, your club and on yourself. And then to watch them heal and rise....well, my God, it's breath taking.
So when I read quote after quote and blog after blog about how sad it is that one person didn't make a roster or how sad it is to lose a player to French money or even long expositions about how expensive season tickets are in Europe, I find myself not caring. I find my patience short with those who simply have not earned the right to complain. For BOD, there will be another season. For the Blues, there will be another center. And for those who I hear complaining about those season tickets--I know you bought them anyway.
I find my patience thin with myself as well. Work is stressful and life throws little things my way and I find myself talking to people and laughing at myself as I moan about these ant hills. I'm striving to change that.
What drives me forward now is not just a love of rugby but a love of family. I want to see my clubs (Eagles and SMRC) succeed not just because they're my team, but because I'm now part of something bigger. I can see the success and the failures in the eyes of the people involved. They are no longer just faces through my camera lens. When you connect with people (players, supporters, family) on that level, it is a beautiful awesome moment.
