I Came For The Jacket

Now that high school fall sports have ended, it’s banquet season. Time for the boys to clean up, eat an overpriced breakfast, and listen to a string of speeches to recap what was, in our case, a grueling football season, plagued by injuries and losses.

If you know me at all, you can probably guess where I’m going with this post … Banquets are not my thing. The food, the people, the time — none of it works for me.

I usually skip these events and relegate all parental duties to my husband, who goes willingly. He enjoys it because he’s social, congenial, and outgoing. In other words, he’s the total opposite of me. I’m socially awkward, anxious, and introverted. Going to events with lots of people makes me uncomfortable at best; sick to my stomach at worst.

Then there’s the food issue. Thanks to my food allergies and sensitivities, I cannot eat anything that’s served. I pay $40 to sip hot tea for 3-1/2 hours while everyone around me enjoys yummy waffles, bacon, danish, and all the usual fixings of a banquet-style buffet breakfast. It sucks.

Sure, I can eat beforefhand, but the timing is usually off. I have a pretty strict morning routine and when it gets messed up, I’m all out of whack for the rest of the day. Add grumpiness and hunger to my anxiety and awkwardness, and it’s a recipe for disaster.

All this to say, I was not looking forward to my younger son’s football banquet last Sunday.

But I went. I went because of the jacket.

It’s a tradition at our high school that each of the juniors receives a varsity letterman jacket during the banquet. A parent comes up to put it on them and then the group poses for photos. It’s a big thing.

So I went. For the jacket.

And I’m glad I did because in addition to earning his letterman jacket, O was awarded the Most Improved Player Award for stepping up on both sides of the ball, as safety and wide receiver (and at times, kick returner).

I may have been uncomfortable, hungry, and slightly annoyed during the nearly 4-hour event, but I was also proud — and really happy for O. His smile shows me that I made the right decision to go.

And now a few of my favorite photos from the season, showing why he was M.I.P. #sorrynotsorry #mombrag #widereceiver #safety #footballskills

-LJDT