I don't know if any of you have ever had the privilege of being at Taylor Field, home of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, during a home game. Being a part of the sea of green is an experience to say the least. The intensity and passion that these fans display is pretty amazing! I believe that if you are not a Roughrider fan, you kind of want to be one after you've been to one of their games in front of their home crowd. Riders fans are known to do crazy things for their team; picture watermelons on heads??!! One thing that Riders fans do best is cheer on their team. They are loud and loyal, travelling all across this country to do it! The past couple seasons have been great for the Riders, but it hasn't always been so. Even when there have been pretty huge disappointments season after season, Taylor field still gets packed out loss after loss. The message this sends is that Rider fans are behind their team no matter what.
I had a conversation with my Dad awhile back, one that we had never had. Not that I can recall anyway. In the conversation, my Dad told me that he was proud of the woman that I had become. He saw good in me. He saw growth. He saw that what I believed, I lived out. These words were a high point for me. I have remembered this talk this week in particular because I haven't felt that there is much good in me these last few days.
It's been one of those weeks of self-reflection and honest words from others. Just when I was getting used to the idea that my pride had been given a few knocks, it got a few more punches! Isn't that how it goes sometimes? You feel like you're growing and changing and then you are enlightened to truth once again and the facts that say, "Not so fast there, Girl! You still have a long way to go!". Those words were not welcomed! They really stressed me out for a few days while I dealt with the pain and the realization, once again, that I suck and that I need to keep being honest about how I treat others and speak about things. I don't think I would have been able to handle the harsh words though without knowing that there are people in my cheering section. People like my Dad, who know me and my heart. Who celebrate with me when I succeed and encourage me not to give up when things get tough. We all need a cheering section, the go-to people who are faithful to see us through the good and the not so pretty and love us no matter what. We also need to be some one's cheering section too! To be the people who are there and who speak truth with love all over it. It makes the pride pill easier to swallow, trust me.
