This Is MY Super Bowl

There are plenty of cliche sentiments to describe the Super Bowl.  You know, the annual “World Championship” of American football.

For many, it’s the pinnacle of sports entertainment for the entire year.  It represents the ultimate achievement, in what fans consider the ultimate battle of will.

Football elicits such a wide range of emotional and intellectual responses from fans.  On one end, there is a visceral (and even primal) response…represented by the intense physical battle that football is.  Big, strong, fast players, trying to impose their will on one another. It is the closest we come to gladiators fighting to the death in the Coliseum in our ‘civilized age’ (wink wink).

One the other end, these games (and some would say sports in general) can often weave together a beautiful narrative of subjects we connect with and that truly move us.  Things like struggle and redemption, opportunity and achievement.

Regardless of how the Super Bowl touches you (if you watch it), you’ve probably come to recognize it as ‘special’.  It’s a special day with special teams (pun completely intended).  It provides us with drama, excitement, finality and celebration.

Generally speaking, watching the Super Bowl is a pretty good time.

This morning I wanted to tell you just a little bit about my Super Bowl.

I bought this bowl (and 5 others) for “her” on her last birthday.  It went along with some other gifts, of course. And as you might expect… some folks may have even said, “a set of bowls???…that’s not very thoughtful.”

To which I say…HEY, don’t judge.  Don’t judge, because you have nooooo idea.  But I’m going to explain.

You see, this woman who I love, she’s not the standard ‘she’.  Sure, sure…she likes some of the finer and fancier things in life.  She works hard and she spoils herself…on occasion ;). And she certainly spoils her family and loved ones, myself included.

But this woman, on this particular birthday, took one look at her new set of bowls, and was absolutely delighted.  This woman, who would typically rather weed-whack than attend a gala, who would always rather scrub floors than dance on them…centered in on her very favorite birthday gift, a bowl.

We discussed their style, their volume, their dishwasher-safeness…and all the while, this beautiful woman smiled, ear to ear.

These sacred bowls have become a part of most of our meals.  And to this very day, most every time we enjoy them, she seems to receive just a little bit of resonant joy.

But here’s the thing…what she probably doesn’t know, is that it is me who receives the joy.  It is I who feels her gratitude and appreciation for a small gift that, on the outside, looks mundane.  But seems to represent something more important, thoughtfulness.

It is I who enjoys the spoils of her smile.

And it is I who tries to burn this lesson into my mind:

It isn’t about the things that we give, it’s about the intention behind them.

And it isn’t just about those big, exhilarating moments, like the Super Bowl…it’s about those small reminders of thoughtfulness and gratitude and love, like my Super Bowl.

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