Staying Calm: It's Only a Game

My brother plays on the varsity basketball team at Glenbard East High School. He's a guard, in case you were wondering. After attending nearly all of his weekend games this past season, I can honestly say that I get more heated while watching his games than while doing just about anything else. I swear, it's probably one of the most stressful things in my life!

Multiple times this season I have unsuccessfully restrained myself from being one of those obnoxious fans who yells at the refs about this or that call. Tonight - senior night - I approached the game with a greater resolve to stay calm, collected, and in my seat. Failure.

(I stood up after a player on Naperville North fouled out - their best player - and I waved him goodbye, as he made his way to the bench. No yelling, I should add.)

This was the last time that my brother dressed for basketball on his home court. This was also the only game this season that he fouled out - and this even before reaching the 2-minute mark, in the fourth quarter.

Playing that last game has to be tough. It's something that I've never experienced, though. Trying to objectify it, as an outsider, I hope that these experiences in life remind kids (and me) that few things last forever in this world, and it's stupid to waste our time on the things that don't. We are meant to live in the midst of the eternal reality - that there is more to life than what meets the eye.

After tonight, my challenge to myself is to live with more awareness about the longevity of the work that I'm doing - whether it be washing a few dishes or trading futures.

And to you, my question is: what *does* matter in this life?