Dear Football

Dear Football,

I have loved you since I first watched the ball moving around the pitch. With twenty-two players, two giant nets, and a referee, you seduced me with your speed, intensity, and passion. I watched inspired formations come to life to do battle with the other team. The players’ strategic positioning and fluid passing was simply beauty in motion.

Breathtaking tackles

I loved the defenders, like mighty warriors defending their own, they would make breathtaking tackles, stunning stops, and clearances that seemed nothing short of magical. They moved like predators all over the pitch, staying one step ahead of the opposition, and sometimes even getting forward to send a header toward the goal, and perhaps just score.

I have always loved the goalkeepers. They are larger than life superheroes, tasked with defending a goal face that is more than twice their size, even when fully extended. They watch, they jump, they pounce, they grab the ball out of thin air. They face danger from every angle, and literally sacrifice their bodies, just as long as the ball stays out of the net. They are the ultimate last line of defense, and watching them save a penalty or keep a clean sheet is almost as good as winning a trophy.

Superheroes of the net

My midfield champions make my heart beat so much faster. Their passing is mesmerizing, they are always looking to create plays and maintain or regain possession with astonishing skill. They work in tandem, they work alone, they work with the fullbacks or wingers, and they keep the hypnotic rhythm of the game going. They seamlessly go from playing defensively to offensively, often in the same split second. They are the momentum of the game, the tireless champions who can change fate with a single deliberate tackle or sublime pass.

Attackers are the obvious protagonists, the ones fans chant for, but being obvious does not change my reaction when their fearless efforts wind up in the back of the net. Always stunning, even when it’s ugly. They battle for position, battle for possession, and in one powerful strike or transcendent header, they alter the course of the match, or even history. What they do for the other 89:59 minutes sometimes goes unnoticed, but it is never lost on me. Goal or no goal, they are always ferociously on the front line, battling the opposition defense looking for every opportunity, like trained assassins. Only when they shoot, they pierce my heart with joy.

When defenders attack

This time without you, football, has been so very difficult. I miss everything about you, even the inexplicable ref calls. The one thing I know is that having lost you for so long, I will never take you for granted again. Nothing else in this world makes me feel like you do. My soul stirs at the thought of seeing you alive and breathing again. I know that time will come. I know that life is more important. But I still love you, football, and no matter what happens, I always will.

Love always,

Elaine

Buona Pasqua! Happy Easter!

To all those who are celebrating

May you have peace and health in these difficult times