It Takes a Village
We survived our first Bowl trip as a family of four!
Not only that, we survived our first cold weather game. Not only THAT, we had an absolute blast doing so. But they weren’t kidding when they said it takes a village.
The past week was the perfect ending to an incredible first season as part of the Duke Football Family. The word family gets thrown around a lot in the realm of sports and I’m so grateful that in this season of life, we are part of a team that truly respects, embraces, and embodies this six letter word. Jeremy became a part of this staff mere weeks before we welcomed Fitz in to our crew. We were both unsure of what this new move would look like for us. How understanding would they be of our situation? How flexible would they be with our uncertainty of Fitz’s health needs? How much would they mean it when they tell Jeremy to be there for his family? Thankfully, the answer to each of those questions is one simple word: beyond. Beyond understanding. Beyond flexible. Beyond supportive.
We spent the last week in Washington D.C. and it was a blast! I’ve always loved D.C. so was thrilled when the Bowl game was announced. It even felt good to breathe in cold air, something my midwest lungs have missed. My skin? Not so much, and poor Fitz has the rosiest red cheeks from how dry his skin is. At least he’s seasonally appropriate, as it just makes him look all the more jolly. I’ve mentioned it before how I struggle asking for and accepting help but this past week showed me just how important both of those things are. From the little asks of, “can you help fold this stroller down for me?” to “can you hold the baby while I chase down the toddler?” This week was all the more fun accepting help from the other family members as we often took a co-parenting approach and played zone defense when out numbered by toddlers.
And I’m so glad I did.
I had SO MUCH FUN!! Not just saying “I had fun” because my kids had fun, no, I had real, Alyssa as an adult, me as a person, had a blast. I always like to joke that it’s easier to find a date than it is to find a friend but the past week reminded me just how important it is find your people. I even got to visit with one of my friends from college, and let me tell you that was so good for the soul. It’s such a beautiful thing seeing someone you met as you entered adulthood become an even brighter, more amazing version of themself. It’s also a much needed reminder about why it’s worth the extra effort it takes to truly stay in touch (and I needed that reminder, even before the chaos of the last year).
Now, were there moments when everything was an absolute shit show? You bet. Wouldn’t have expected anything else. Did I almost miss the bus to the family fun day? Duh. Was I sprinting down to the bus to the game, essentially throwing Beau on to the bus and jostling Fitz like a rag doll as I sprinted back up to my room for their custom jerseys? Of course. Sweating. Shedding down to a cropped tank top over my black body suite tank, a vision no one should see other than my husband? You betcha. And don’t get me started on the circus that was, again, sprinting to the opposite side of the stadium where a fellow wife (MVP) who was wearing her toddler helped me hoist my stroller in the air to walk down multiple flights of stairs to get to the field after the win. I woke up this morning so bruised from banging against stadium seats.
Wouldn’t have it any other way.
So to the fellow Blue Devil WAGs that contributed to this Bowl game being such a great experience, thank you! And now, we check out and enjoy so much needed family time before football life picks back up again in the new year.