January 15, 2010
The Second Half
Football playoffs
BY DEACON JIM AND ANN CAVERA
Last weekend we watched the NFL playoff game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers. I don’t usually care who wins, but I was hoping for a Cardinal victory — which they pulled off in overtime with a “miracle” fumble (51-45). The Cardinals were my favorite because of a story Jim told me about their quarterback Kurt Warner. I probably don’t have all the details straight, but Jim said something about Warner being an older quarterback and I am partial to people who strive for excellence when age is against them. Warner also had a long struggle before he made it in the NFL. He met his wife when he worked as a bagger in a grocery store. He asked her out but she declined explaining that she was a single mom with two sons, one of whom was disabled. He persisted and now they are a family. So, I was pulling for Arizona because I think their quarterback is a person with some depth and the ability to see beyond appearances and circumstances.
Years ago I always rooted for whatever team Warrick Dunn played for. He was a player at Florida State, when his mother (a police officer) was killed in the line of duty leaving Warrick and several younger siblings. Dunn shouldered the responsibility for his siblings, caring for them while he went on to make a name for himself in football. We forget that the people we see on TV have other lives beyond their public identities. Which team I cheer for usually has little to do with the game being played. I root for people. Kurt Warner and Warrick Dunn had personal stories that included tragedy and triumph, but their stories aren’t unique. Probably most of the athletes we see have overcome much to be where they are.
Lesser known are people around who us have stories of tragedy and triumph that are often overlooked. On most Sundays in our parish a particular husband and wife sit near the front of the church. Beside them in a wheelchair is their severely disabled son. The three of them quietly lead heroic lives. Another couple faithfully attends daily Mass and makes certain the sanctuary is always beautifully decorated. They have lost three of their seven children. Some of our elderly struggle alone at home, others are in assisted living or nursing homes. Most of them are still “in the game.” Sustained by their faith in God and family, they continue to contribute as best they can.
Sometimes we make assumptions about people based on status (or lack of status). Those assumptions are often based on initial impressions and once we have someone “pegged” we go on to other things. We take so little time to really see people that many feel invisible; as though no one recognizes how difficult their lives have become. At the wedding at Cana in Galilee, Mary saw the need of the young couple and brought their need to her son. Bringing someone’s need to Christ in prayer is the first gift we offer. God sees and understands, but he also needs for us to be the voice of his compassion. It takes time, personal depth and the ability to see beneath the surface to recognize the value and dignity in each person we meet. Without the kind of perception that goes beyond appearances and circumstances, life can become little more than a game.
Deacon Jim and Ann Cavera are former residents of Evansville; their award-winning column is a regular feature of the Message. Contact them at www.catholicseniorspirit.com.