What If…Everyone Cheered for Something?

It’s been a whole lot of fun to jump onto my social media accounts over the past couple of weeks. Missourians are 🎉loud and proud for the Chiefs. The fans have earned those bragging rights this year. No one can deny that they had an amazing season. I mean- the 🏈Super Bowl! C’mon! That’s as big as it gets in football. I’ve seen photos of the fountains in Kansas City with red ❤️water. Snaps of little kids in Chiefs gear. Pictures of iconic KC landmarks shining brighter with ❤️red lighting against the night sky. Profile pics to reflect team loyalty. I’ve even seen photos of friends who are in 🌴Miami for the big game- ready to represent the home team! I didn’t snap any of the images that I shared here. I grabbed them from the posts of friends who live in KC. They tell just a little bit about the 🎉enthusiasm happening throughout the city.

I’m not one of the die-hard fans. I’ll happily admit that I’m a bandwagon fan. It’s not that I don’t like the Chiefs. Don’t get me wrong- they’re ❤️great! For my football 🏈fan friends, I get it. I understand the enthusiasm completely. It’s just this- if I had to pick my favorite things to do, watching 🏈football probably wouldn’t be in my top ten. I love❤️💛 football season, but I’m ready to move onto the next big thing when it’s over. Maybe it’s my attention span. That’s another story.

Football is entertaining, though, especially when I’m sitting in a stadium and soaking up the atmosphere. High school 🏈football games are my favorites because I know the kiddos on that field. I watch games mostly for the 😍camaraderie with people. I also really like the halftime shows with the bands and the dance teams. Is it wrong to admit that I don’t truly understand why calls from the referees are good or bad? I do recognize 🏈touchdowns. I can also spot those incredible plays because they just stand out- even to someone like me.

You know what, though? This past couple of weeks have been a lot of fun. The fans are having a 👍🏻positive effect on me. I’m ready to cheer right along with the longtime Chiefs fans. The fans who have been there in the tough times and for this glory moment.

We had Spirit 🎉Week for the Chiefs at school. Kids and teachers were wearing jerseys, some with signatures of players. I saw socks and hats and t-shirts emblazoned with the 🏈logo. Although I didn’t have anything specifically Chiefs to wear, I happily pulled out anything ❤️red and 💛gold to show some spirit for our Missouri team. Our assistant principal is a big-time Patriots 🏈fan, so the kids had a blast rubbing it in his face. The minute the Chiefs win guaranteed that spot at the Super Bowl, one 8th-grade boy messaged me about decorating the assistant principal’s office with handmade posters and streamers. With the help of our secretary- school secretaries are the 😍best, in case you didn’t know- my students turned the office of a Patriots fan into Chiefs ❤️💛Kingdom! We even had a “tailgate” during lunch- complete with chicken wings! I’m telling you- the energy coming from the fans is contagious!

It’s important to have something or someone to 🎉cheer for in this life. We need those superheroes like Patrick Mahomes. We need a team that can show us what 💪🏻hard work and perseverance can accomplish. We need something to 🙏🏻believe in. We can’t just show up for the nachos. We need to find our reasons to cheer.

Professional 🏈football isn’t your thing? Maybe you don’t miss a high school 🏐sporting event. Perhaps you’re on the front row for 🎤choir competitions. You might cheer at the finish lines of 👟races or give standing ovations on 🎭opening nights. How about helping your neighbor sell a bunch of Girl Scout 🍪cookies or spending time at a senior center? What about your friend’s band or your favorite ❤️charity?

Have you found your reason to cheer? What if…everyone 🎉cheered for something? I think the world would be a whole lot more 😀fun! There’s an added bonus when we 🎉cheer. Knowing someone is in our corner, we feel 🙌🏻supported, which boosts confidence to reach our own 🏈Super Bowl-sized goals. So- get out there and 🎉cheer- and wait for the magic to happen!