I know that soccer is more than just a game. This wasn't a truth though that I was born knowing. Only recently has it come to fruition. Soccer explains life.
Last night, upon returning home from work, my sister handed me a gift. It was from Mark, my brother in law. A book titled How Soccer Explains the World: an {unlikely} theory of globalization. It was odd, but in that moment, a rush of emotion took over me, traveling through me in such a way that I felt it's tug in every inch of my core. I can't really explain it. I stood there, in my sister's presence, laughed uncomfortably and said "This is going to make me cry." Why? Was it because it was such a kind gesture? Was it for a reason deeper than that? Perhaps it was because in that moment, I felt supported. Supported in this journey. Supported by soccer. I realized that other people too are getting this message. Connected- people seek more, share more. This web of interconnectedness that is forming is beautiful. Words of support and inspiration. People are reaching out and that is the kindness of the human heart. Yes, the human heart is so kind. There is a reason to be better, to do better.
In the words of Franklin Foer, author of How Soccer Explains the World, soccer is a "perfect window into the crosscurrents of today's world, with all its joys and its sorrows... it is often more deeply felt than religion, and just as much a part of the community's fabric, a repository of traditions.” If soccer truly does explain the world, everyone must play. Soccer brings hope where hope was lost and provides support where it was so brutally beaten down.
Continue to believe in the game. Continue providing support. Reach out. Connect yourself. Be kind.