Looking Fourward

This game of on and off retirement has finally come to an end and I don't think I could be more relieved. All of dad's fans have watched as he toiled over the decision, mostly wanting him to continue playing. My mindset was that I just wanted him to make a decision. Any decision. Although it would have been fun to rejoin the Jets for another season, I'm proud of my dad for finally deciding to do what is best for him, without being too affected by outside influences. His decision to retire may have come after a few negative factors, like his bicep injury, but the beauty of it is that he went out under his own will. For any profession, it must be a sweet feeling to know that you are walking away still respected in your field, having people believing that you could still be successful at your position. Although he's had his fair share of tears and bruises, his career ended with him still being able to do what he loves, not because of a life changing injury or being asked to leave because no one believes in him. We all know that #4 could still run with the best of them, but what we love most is the fact that if he can't play to the full potential (of his possibly unreasonable expectations) he has set for himself, he will make way for someone else to learn the trade. I'm so ready to be able to have family time that doesn't revolve around football season, and more importantly have him visit me at school. The beauty of his profession is that he has shown the whole world what he can do, made a wonderful name for himself, and hasn't turned 40 yet. He has so much life to live, and even though football is over, he can now start to really live. He has recently discussed family cross-country road trips (Stay tuned for those stories on the blog, should be very, very interesting). So here we are, experiencing one of the most anticipated moments of the past few years, and how did I find out about his decision? I was running on the tread mill before class and noticed his name and face all over sportscenter. I didn't have headphones, so I didn't get to hear any of the coverage. Dad is a pretty private guy, to say the least.

Brittany

I thought this picture was pretty funny of my Dad!

Happy New Year!

For the first time in a few months, the holiday season is finally beginning to slow down. The whirlwind eating, shopping, traveling, adjusting, readjusting, and sadly, more eating that comes along with November through January is coming to a close. The delay for the blog is certainly not because of a lack of caring, this is just the busiest time of the year for most so hopefully everyone understands. Since my last post, I spent my Christmas break in New Jersey with my family. Going from warm and sunny Charleston, South Carolina to bitter cold Morristown was a shock, refreshing at first then a snow storm left us with more family time than was expected. Not only did I need the break from school, but the family time was wonderful. I was able to attend my sister's Christmas concert, along with little things that I miss out on while in Charleston. Family meals, running errands with mom, even watching movies together was taken for granted while I lived at home. Since Christmas, we returned to our house in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Mom and I agreed that this was a major breath of fresh air. We were able to shrug off the disappointments of the end of the football season in the company of family and friends. It's hard to imagine the way my parents have to pick up and leave for the six months surrounding football season, as well as the fact that my sister has to adjust to a new school every semester. I left for school at the beginning of January and the last time I talked to my mother she was still trying to put the pieces back together from the big move. This is always the most interesting time of the year for us, because of course the retirement question looms over all of us at the conclusion of the football season. We use this time to focus on our family and making decisions that affect all of our lives. I apologize for the long delay with the blog but now that everything is beginning to run along a steady track, there should certainly be more to come and more often. Thank you to all of the supporters that have made this transition easier for us! Hope all of your holidays were wonderful!

Brittany