The not-so-super bowl

As a big sports fan, Super Bowl Sunday used to be a big day for me. It didn't matter who was playing in the game. It was always a good excuse to get the family together and eat appetizers until they came out your ears. Most people didn't care about the game or football at all, but it was a social event. My how things change!

Last night instead of watching the game I went to the evening service at church. I chose to do this because Abby's youth group was meeting afterward and she desperately wanted to go. In my estimation, Abby getting to spend time with her friends was more important than me getting to sit like a sloth in front of my television. Abby has a rough time at school with (so called) friends. She's an extroverted, social person who thrives on interaction with others. I had absolutely no reason to deprive her of the opportunity to be with like-minded, Christian friends (other than the selfishness of watching a football game). I did attempt to go to Buffalo Wild Wings and catch a little bit of the game while I waited for Abby. It was so crowded that getting in the door wasn't even a possibility. At that point I drove back to church and just waited in the parking lot. As I was sitting in my dark car in the church parking lot, I had a lot of time to think. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed to be missing the big game. Trust me, I'm not that big of a person. But I was confident that I had made the right decision. It's sometimes a tough pill to swallow when I realize things are not always about me. Knowing Abby was inside the church having a good time helped me get over my disappointment. There will be lots of Super Bowls in the future. Abby won't be a socially struggling teenager forever. This decision was a No-Brainer. Last night it was about Abby and I'm able to live with myself this morning. If I had chosen to stay home last night, I'd be carrying around a large burden of guilt today. I'm not saying this to toot my own horn or to make everybody think I'm some great dad. I'm really not. The truth is I wrestled with the decision all afternoon. I wanted to watch the game. Abby missing her youth group meeting wouldn't have been the end of the world. But when it was all said and done I knew in my heart the right thing to do.

Incidentally, I arrived home during the power outage. I did get to see most of the second half of the game, so don't feel sorry for me.