Over the course of my almost 20 years of marriage, I have come a long way in some areas. While there are of course many areas that still need work, there is one particular place that I have been victorious over and would like to encourage other women about.
It is sometimes a joke in movies and television shows…the wife complains about her husband’s interests in sports. Whether it’s a sport he plays in or watches on TV, she finds herself feeling like she is competing for his attention. She can’t understand the obsession with a club, or men running after a ball in their tights.
I used to be this type of wife. I used to hate the fact that my husband enjoyed playing in and watching sports. I used to get mad at him when he went off golfing. I would sulk if he spent a Sunday in front of the screen watching football.
In a way, I guess I was jealous of sports. They were like the “other woman” in his life. But alas, I have found my victory. I have finally conquered the other woman and guess what? It wasn’t by forcing her way out of his life; it was by learning to embrace her.
Pretty soon I started sitting down to watch some of the games. Over time I learned to especially love football. In fact, now I don’t miss one single game of the Green Bay Packers. I also developed a fondness for baseball and catch most of the Brewer’s games with my husband. It’s so nice to be able to talk to him about the players and stats.
Nascar is one sport I have yet to develop a liking for but one year I went so far as to fly to Virginia with my husband to attend a race. I will probably never do it again but he can’t say I didn’t try.
Then there is golf. I eventually learned how to play with him. But the best victory has been with softball. While I used to hate the softball season, I am now part of his team as the official “stat girl.” I have even been given a nickname, “She Coach.”
You don’t have to hate this other woman; you just have to learn how to embrace her.
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