Importance of People

Having the right people surrounding you has a huge weight on your happiness. We all encounter tough situations where we need to know someone has your back 100% to get through it. We also have the other extreme, when something exciting is happening and all you want to do is share it with someone who will ultimately be as excited as you are about it! I have been overwhelmingly blessed with wonderful people all around me at school, work (present and past jobs), church, and at random.

I currently work for Intramural Sports as an official. I never had so much respect for officials who wear those black and white stripes on the field until I became one. Currently I am officiating outdoor soccer, which I love. Since I am unable to play, due to many previous soccer injuries, it gives me joy to be on the field in some way. Last week, I had an extremely tough call. The game I was officiating was a pretty physical one and several cards were thrown. Ultimately, I had to issue two yellow cards to a player, which results in a red card and an ejection.  The game after that card was also over because there had been three cards on one team. It was a tough situation because I had to stand firm on my call and hear the back talk from the angry players and disagreements with my call. But there is a silver lining here. My partner on the field, and the supervisors that were present were behind me 100%. This made the situation not so bad. Their confidence in me allowed me to shrug off some hurtful words from the players who disagreed with me. I am not a mean person, I do not enjoy issuing cards during a soccer game. Especially when those cards will ultimately end the game or that player's participation in the game. I never thought I would enjoy a job so much until I started working with intramurals this season and having this awesome team of coworkers just makes it even better.

This weekend I went to the UGA Homecoming game with my sister. The atmosphere at the game is so much fun. I bleed red and black, and I love my Georgia Bulldogs! During the game, they honored several veterans and staff. One that was touching, and had my sister and I crying, was a soldier's surprise homecoming on the field. How can you not cry at a mother running full-speed across the field to her son who just returned from Afghanistan? The stadium erupted in applause, everyone stood up yelling in excitement. What an incredible experience. I didn't even know these people, but it was a blessing to see the joy in the mother's eyes, the warm feeling that just overcame the stadium as we all welcomed him home as if we were a big family. These are the things I love about people. The feeling of camaraderie when we all experience something so special together.

These are just a few of the little things God showed me through people this week.


Until next time,
Reychel