A Little March Madness: Old Enough to Be Their Momma

I’ve been indulging in NCAA men’s hoops action since the tournament began Thursday. The games are always intense. I wouldn’t tune in and watch Drake versus Western Kentucky during the regular season, but darn if I didn’t spend much of Friday afternoon watching the excitement build, until Western KY beat Drake with a 3-pointer shot at the final buzzer. It’s madness!

As I and my boys get older, the mom in me is more sensitive to watching these young men play. How would I feel to have a son so talented to not only play basketball on scholarship in college, but to be on a team so good that they make the NCAA tournament? How would I help my son deal with disappointment in not making the tourney (U. of Maryland, Syracuse, so many other teams)?

I had a similar thought during the Superbowl. How must Mr & Mrs Manning have felt, to have two sons not only playing in the NFL, but at quarterback, and not just quarterback but STARTING QB, and not just regular season but the playoffs and the Superbowl. Holy crap! I’m sure I would get a cramp in my arm from patting myself on the back so much. Lookie, Pa; we done did good with them thar boys.

I did some mental math today, while the Duke/WVU game was just beginning. These kids are what, 18-22 years old? That means they were born in the late 1980s. When I was finishing college myself and entering the working world. So yeah, I’m old enough to be their mom. Whoa! It seems just yesterday I myself was in college. Now here’s a whole generation who’s carrying on the tradition. Totally crazy!

So, I’ll cheer them on and wish them well, and thank the goddesses that my oldest son is almost 12, still dealing with middle school drama and not the pressure and excitement of NCAA basketball. Yet.