One thing about being in the hospital the whole month of March is, well, March Madness. I remember Ryan asking me whether or not we wanted to play in a bracket pool. I could barely speak so I simply nodded my head. I wanted to feel ‘normal’ again and I believed a bracket would put me on that course.
Our 2014 bracket. Ryan let me take the Buffs all the way to the championship. With Arizona winning, though? My family’s influence I suppose…
“If you’re gonna be in the hospital, this is the time…” joked multiple people.
One day, when my family went to get food from one of Fort Collins’ best secret lunch spots – no joke – the hospital cafeteria, I turned on the game as I sat quietly with myself. I couldn’t walk or even sit up yet. It was a chance to do something that I enjoy. The Michigan Wolverines were playing someone and I was following the game the best I could. Quite frankly, the roar of the crowd and the announcers’ voices were entertainment enough.
I heard a faint knock on the door. It was the hospital chaplain checking in. He is incredibly caring and wise. He sat with me and turned to the television and cheered with me. We talked about Oak. We prayed together. It was such a nice afternoon.
He shared that story months later at a ceremony we held at the hospital. He mentioned how he held Ryan’s hand the night they were sure I would die and how blown away he was to experience a game with me, alive, and working so hard to come back to life. I wanted to make the tournament. As he shed a tear, he said he will never look at March Madness the same way again.
Sometimes we need bracket pools. Somewhere, somehow, an upset happens and a 16 seed gets its victory. Even a loss for the big guys is a tremendous triumph for those unexpected to thrive.
Whether you pick teams based on colors, mascots, raw emotion or even create a computer program to pick (like Ryan), March Madness is a friendly reminder that we cannot predict the future. As much as statistics or rankings point in one direction, statistics cannot account for the “life happens” factor.
So rally behind your team. Enjoy the camaraderie of the moment. As my nephew says, go for the three (tres). Win or lose, your fans will cheer or cry right by your side. And that’s what counts.
In rehab working on standing. My own sweet victory.
Your words are always so powerful. !
March Madness indeed. In 2014, both UCONN mens and women won the NCAA championship, not an uncommon feat for UCONN. While our CT world around us reveled the success, we were left stunned by how much our lives will be changed forever. Celebrating a basketball tournament victory seemed so inconsequential to the grand scheme of life.
You triumphed over so much Melinda. What you and Ryan went through and continue to journey through is an uncommon feat in comparison to the college basketball madness that engrosses so many this time of year. Wishing you both love & light as you honor your relationship and keep Oak’s memory alive.