The Fans Can Make A Difference

A marriage can be like a rugby match: the players are more likely to succeed when they have cheering, supporting fans.

This past weekend was spent in the arms of rugby. My big tall husband plays on a rugby team and they had a game on Sunday. And on Saturday, Munster was playing. Munster is the Irish rugby team that my new family supports. They support them by going to games, near and far. They support them by dressing from head to toe in Munster gear. And they support them by screaming like their lives depend on it. We are a sport-loving family :)

It is often said that it’s hard to beat a team in their home stadium. If you think it’s silly that a change in location can have such a big impact, go to your local team’s next home game. The crowd is intense; the colors are overwhelming; the flags are flying. Literally. They give out huge Munster flags and people wave them while (and this part I didn’t really understand) the team’s song is sung (well, THAT I understand) by a woman with a rather operatic voice (THAT is what I don’t understand. It doesn’t really match with the image of rugby, does it?). It is hard to beat a team that has so much support surrounding it for 80 minutes straight. Needless to say, Munster won. I still don’t understand much about rugby. I get the basics (they’re similar enough to football), and I basically screamed when the people around me screamed. I think I became the butt of a joke when I asked if you could keep the ball if it went into the crowd, but I’m okay with that.

Even when they weren’t playing that well, the fans still supported them. THAT’S the most important part.

I have heard so many people complain about their relationships with their in-laws. Sometimes a mother-in-law inserts herself too much into their lives/marriage. Sometimes a sister-in-law is basically a witch with a B. Sometimes you’re really glad that you live 2,000 miles away and only see each other on national holidays. And then, sometimes, you actually enjoy their company. They are kind people who help you and buy you gadgets and invite you over for dinner. They are people that you look forward to spending time with and who seem to enjoy spending time with you. And this can make a marriage so much stronger.

I really enjoy my in-laws. I still miss my family LIKE CRAZY, but my in-laws help make it a bit more bearable. I am blessed in that they help us. They support us. They wear our colors everyday. They drive me into town to join them in running errands; they help me put together furniture for the house; they invite me out to coffee, and they make me laugh. Our supportive fans will make it so much easier for us to have a strong marriage and to win the game, even when we aren’t playing well.

I wonder if my mother-in-law knows any opera.