Friendship Lessons at the Football Field

This year, we have four kids playing flag football. Because the family that plays football together...stays together. Or something like that. Really, I think it's about a) minimizing drive time (no, Bee, you cannot go to gymnastic classes like a normal girl child--here! learn how to play football!) and b) making sure all the kids get their energy out so that we don't kill each other in the RV.

My favorite thing about football: thing one and thing two
fortuitously being their jersey numbers.

On the whole, this has worked out fairly well for us, but occasionally, we run into scheduling snags. Like Saturday, when Littles' team played at the same time as the team the other kids are on. Thankfully, the teams played at fields that were side by side, and the Man and I sat in between the games, trying to watch all four kids play at the same time (while also keeping an eye on Twinkle who likes to challenge our parenting skills by trying to join her siblings on the field). It was kind of like watching the ball at a tennis match. But worse. Also, it was cold. And my legs and hands froze into icicles and then splintered off. But that's not the point.

The point is that halfway through the game, I heard two of my new football mom friends yelling my name from across the field. I turned to look and see them making the touch down sign and pointing excitedly at Tiny. He had just scored the only touch down of the game (for our team--we were slaughtered), and we had missed it. But those two women made sure that I turned... just in time to cheer for Tiny with everyone else.

Tiny makes that football look good.

Good grief. I'm crying about it right now, just writing this.

I'm not crying because I missed my kid's touchdown. There will be other touchdowns. I'm crying because...oh, I want to be a friend like that. And I am so grateful for those two women who have gone out of their way to welcome me and talk to me for the three hours a week that we are together, and who know what friendship looks like.

Twinkle's favorite part of football is the snacks.
My child, right there...
Also, stealing her sister's jersey.

Friendship is not always going to be someone having your back or knowing the depths of your heart. Friendship is not always going to be about being physically there or even staying in great contact once you move. Thank God for that when it happens. We need friends like that too. But sometimes, being a friend is just looking for those small opportunities to help someone else celebrate. It's calling out someone's name from across a field so they don't miss the moment because you know they've got twenty gazillion things on their plate and you want to make sure that they get the joy too.

Somehow this is the only picture I got of Littles.
He is the far left, looking too cool for school. Or football, rather.

Today I'm thanking God for two women who barely know me who taught me that being a friend is sometimes just about being willing to do one small thing. I'm praying that I get to go do one small thing for someone else to bring them joy too.