My son, Teague, is a Gator fan. He loves him some Gator football and is surrounded by Gator "stuff". But, he has never been to a game. Until now.
When Teague completed his first triathlon, we wanted to honor his courage and hard work with something big. He got a Florida Gator jersey. What he didn't know, is we also had tickets to the first Florida game. We were taking him to "The Swamp" for his first game....ever!
The game wasn't televised in Georgia, so Teague went on and on about not getting to see it. We played it up and finally told him that we'd be visiting family in Florida, so there was a chance the game would be on TV.
The drive was long as Teague asked us over and over if we thought he'd get to see the game. We were thrilled with ourselves, knowing how exciting this surprise would be for our son.
We finally stopped for a late lunch, and Teague had no idea we are in Gainesville. There was a sea of orange and blue and Teague is even more concerned he might not see the game. We "decided" to get a hotel for the night, so we didn't have to get back on the road.
He still has no idea.
It's a beautiful day. We check into our hotel, complete with chocolate chip cookies, and Teague and I go to the pool. When we get back, my husband breaks the news that the hotel doesn't get the channel showing the game. Teague is deflated, and we are getting more and more excited. Teague now knows we are in Gainesville, so we told him we'd go to dinner and see if we can catch the game at one of the restaurants in town.
The shuttle from the hotel takes us to the UF campus. Teague looks at the crowds of people walking toward what he realizes the stadium and says, "I wish we were going into the game like them". We intentionally walk the other way. We are playing this up big time.
After some time in the campus book store, we exit into a crowd of fans and stop to get our bearings. My husband pulls the tickets out of his pocket, and shows them to Teague, seconds after I pulled out my phone.
Teague was humble and filled with joy.
We entered the stadium just minutes before 7:00 pm and found our seats. Lightning flashes in the distance and we realize the sky is darkening. The first drops begin to fall and the game is delayed 30 minutes.
The sky opened up, dropped buckets of rain, and thunder rattled the sky. The game was delayed, and delayed, and delayed. We stood, and stood, and stood in the concrete tunnel...waiting.
Teague's excitement turned to disappointment and he cried. He was once again worried he might not see the game. This is where we turned our focus on perspective.
We talked together about how fortunate we were to be at the game, to have the opportunity to spend this time as a family. We talked about perspective, where we focus our thoughts and energy, and all the good that was happening between the rumbles of thunder. We had thumb wars, ate giant pretzel twists, and watched the lightning flash.
At 9:30 pm, after two and a half hours of standing still in the concrete tunnel, we returned to our soaking wet seats to witness the first kickoff and watch Florida run the ball back to the 14 yard line.
It was an amazing play.
It was the only play.
Officials ran out on the field and delayed the game, yet again, due to lightning. From 9:30 pm -11:00 pm, we waited. It was past Teague's bedtime, he had experienced a flood of emotions, and the tears came yet again. At 11:00 pm, the game was cancelled, and we caught the shuttle back to the hotel in the storm.
But, you know what, it wasn't so bad.
We spent 4 hours standing. That part stunk, but we were together. We were all disappointed, tired, and uncomfortable...but no one got crabby. That alone, was a success.
Alcohol was not served in the stadium, so emotions were not magnified or exaggerated by the crowds around us.
Teague will never forget his first game, the lengths we went to to make it special, or that one kickoff return...in the storm.
Our son will forever remember the time we waited 4 hours, in a thunderstorm, for him to have this special memory.
Even after the game, people sent texts, messages on facebook, and checked in to let us know how bummed they were about the weather and most of all Teague's disappointment.
Days later, it was announced that the game would not be rescheduled. It was another let down. But it really wasn't. We made our memories,
The game didn't go as planned, but I can see so much goodness in that dark and stormy night.
The Gators didn't get a win that night, but the Drapers did.
