Tag: tolerance

Ah, the holidays are in full swing. The lovely sights of Christmas, the glory of Hanukkah, and the beauty of Kwanza; each of these celebrations—and more—lead us to the birth of the New Year. The spirit in the air is one of joy, delight, and anticipation.

Yet we can’t ignore the rather unfortunate truth that the holidays can also make us frazzled, frenetic, and downright depressed. With sparkling holiday festivities, towering mounds of gifts to be bought and wrapped, and brilliant lights aglow, you might ask, "Depression? During the holidays? How can that possibly be?"

For football fans, Super Bowl Sunday is the pièce de résistance of their favorite time of year: the NFL season. For the less enthusiastic girlfriends and wives of football fans, however, Super Bowl Sunday has a different meaning: sweet relief.

As the partner of a rabid football fan, I know my fate is sealed for the next six months as soon as the first pre-season kickoff lands on the 20-yard line. No more life for me; I’m now a weekly prisoner of John Madden and Cris Collinsworth and other commentators for 12 hours on Sunday, four hours on Monday and four hours on Thursday and Saturday nights halfway through the season. (Not to mention the hour-long sports shows every night of the week that constantly replay the same footage I just spent 24 grueling hours watching.) Some football widows have the luxury of exiting stage left as soon as the game clicks on. But for me, and many women like me, my football lover likes to have me by his side for every game. Sweet? Yes. Agonizing? Kill me now.