Huge professional disappointment didn’t stop Russell Wilson from making his weekly rounds at Seattle Children’s Hospital Tuesday. Because there’s way more to life than a game. Wilson was just two days removed from throwing the last-minute interception that doomed the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl.
Yes, it was a stupid play call, made for reasons there’s simply no rational explanation for. The Seattle Seahawks had another Super Bowl victory within their grasp, only to break the collective heart of the 12th Man by snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. It was one of the most astonishingly epic “WTF?????” moments in sports history. A week later, it makes no more sense than it did then. Three yard to score a touchdown, two timeouts, and Marshawn Lynch. I’m still gobsmacked.
That said, it’s a game…and despite the crushing disappointment, the sun still rose the next morning as previously scheduled. Life went on. The anguish was short-lived, because rational people understand the transitory nature of sports. Yes, the New England Patriots were the ones having the victory parade, but training camp starts in just over five months. All 32 teams will begin pushing the same rock up the same hill all over again. At this moment, my Minnesota Vikings are undefeated and tied for first place…I kinda like the sound of that.
Not that the kids really cared; they just wanted to see Russell Wilson.
It would have been understandable had Wilson decided to stay in bed for a day or six. To make an epic, unfathomable mistake in front of millions can’t have been an easy or pleasant thing to process. Wilson, fortunately for him, is made of stronger stuff, and he has the kids at Seattle Children’s Hospital to help him maintain perspective. Every Tuesday, Wilson hangs with the kids at the hospital- something he started on his own- and it’s become one of those stories that illustrates the reality that not all professional athletes are spoiled, pampered prima donnas. Most, in fact, are well aware of their great good fortune and do what they can to give back to their community. What’s refreshing about Wilson’s endeavor with Seattle Children’s Hospital is that he knew his celebrity would draw attention to what he was doing, but he sought out the kids himself.
Wilson was back at the hospital two days after the Seahawk’s crushing defeat. It would have been understandable had he decided to skip his normal Tuesday trip to see the kids. That he didn’t speaks to his commitment and strength of character. It also speaks to his understanding that losing a game, even the biggest game of his career, doesn’t have to mean defeat.
We could all learn a lesson from that.
