Bearing ♥ Down

It was April 23, 1999 when he received the official letter. Patience was indeed a virtue, because a Chicago Bears Season Ticket Holder, it declared.

& ! ! ! ! !  exclaimed Husband, ! ! ! ! !

At that precise moment in time, I’m pretty positive I was happy for him but seriously, could care less. I was much too busy with kids and school activities and sports and friends to really give football much thought. And besides, I was hunkered in madness at Major League Baseball and how they ripped my  loyalty to shreds. So HUMPH. You go to the games and have your fun, Husband, because here in this mucky muck, I was determined to stay

& why I decided to go to a REAL game in September of 2001 is beyond me. Preseason had been my gig and yeah, it was ok and all, but … But there Husband, Sister 2, Sister 3 and I trekked and ohmygosh !! A light of perpetual gleeeeeeeeeee was switched to ON as I finally understood why this man really, REALLY enjoyed his time at Soldier Field

& ! ! ! ! ! & ! ! ! ! ! & ! ! ! ! ! an orange sweatshirt wearing, everything Chicago Bears decorating, card-carrying, infinitely devoted STH I became ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! !

Now, through the years, there have been games and there have been GAMES. Like the time Otis Wilson signed my Otis Wilson jersey

or when we were temporarily evacuated cause of a tornado in the neighborhood

or when Jarrett Payton joined our tailgate for a brat

or BIG HUGGING Connie and Brittney as if BFF’s we be

or sharing cookie bars with the Drumline … or … or …

& as it rained and rained and rained this past Sunday afternoon in Chicago and those Bears were being pummeled by Tom Brady and his Buccaneers in Florida, I thought, oooooh weeeee, if this was last week ?? where in sunshine and perfect Autumn weather we gathered to watch Aaron Rodgers and his Packers do the same ?? Drenched we would have been, cold and miserable and …

& …. DANG, that would have been CLASSIC and guess what ?? We’d have been soooooo prepared with raincoats and boots and layer upon layer upon layer … and yep, we ‘d have grumbled and complained and enthusiastically  boast if WE were calling those plays ! ! ! we’d have ALLLLLLL the answers … But there we would soaked to the bone cheer, as we always, ALWAYS do

!!!!! BEARS !!!!!

& THAT, right there, is why I love the game of football and that doggone team so much.

Yes, you’ve broken my heart year after year after year, Bears and I’ve sworn I’m DONE with you more times than I dare count. You bring out the drunken’ sailor language in this person who doesn’t !#@%$&!!!! all that much and yet, here I am, here I’ll stay

& I’m incredibly infuriated with you right now, CB, but I’ll get over it. I will pick up, dust off and give you my unwavering support yet again ’cause we’ve all, in one form or another, been where you are and we all know you can, you will, you must carry on. And ONE DAY, ooooooh one day ! ! !

So today, I thank you for the good times, the perfect memories and the life lessons, Chicago Bears. You’ve gifted me sooooo much more than a game and forever grateful this proud, albeit tattered and dismantled and rebuilt STH since 1999 (errr, ok, 2001) will remain.

It ain’t over till it’s over, my friends.

Reset. Restart.

& Yep. I’ll see you on Sunday, Chicago Bears.

🙂

Oh Yes I Can