Snippets of my letter to my love on his senior day.
Conrad,
My
love. I have sat down to write you this note too many times. I struggle even
finding the words to start. Tomorrow is your senior day. Your last game on your
home field and with just a few short games remaining your football career will
end. I know the mixed emotions surrounding you right now, as I have just been
through this a few months ago, but not only that. It is because we are one. I
share your emotions. I know how you are feeling before you can even tell me. I
share your pain and I share your joy. My heart is a part of yours, and always
will be. Let’s do some reminiscing,
shall we?
I am so thankful for our high school football
seasons together. Seems like forever ago, but I will never forget it. I proudly
stood in those stands cheering you on, not even realizing the impact football
would have on our relationship. I will never forget the game day gifts I gave
you and the joy I felt seeing how much you appreciated me. I knew you were
something special. I will never forget you wearing your jersey to school on
Friday and having the honor of wearing a t-shirt with your name on the back on game
days. I will never forget you winking at me on the sidelines and catching my
eye after a touchdown pass. I will never forget waiting for you after the games
at the Buick. High school football memories are memories we
both will cherish the rest of our lives. We will tell stories to our children
about how Friday nights under the lights were perfect and our lives revolved
around them.
Going out of high school we both
were looking at empty pages, with no clue where life was going to take us. The recruiting process was a tough one,
knowing our odds of going to the same school were so slim, but knowing how
important it was that we both follow our dreams of playing college athletics. I
remember when I decided to commit to Drake University and I remember when you
committed to Truman. I will never forget the day you left for your first
college football camp, and collapsing on my driveway watching you drive away. The
uncertainty of what was ahead was brutal, but I am so thankful for those times. We have gotten
the chance to take our own paths and find out who we are, but still remain one.
I know God had his hand on this the whole time.
College football has been such a journey. I know
how hard it has been Conrad Wilson. I am so glad I have been here through the
whole thing, and I want you to know every ounce of pain you have felt I have
felt too. BUT through all that adversity you spread the
love of Jesus. You learned to forgive. You learned to love others when it was
hard. You learned that your role on the team may not be to throw touchdowns,
but something way bigger than that. You grew as a Godly man that year, through
trial after trial.
This year- you have become yourself on that
field once again. The Conrad I knew from high school. The quarterback with
extreme confidence oozing out of him. The player that gets so pumped up when a
teammate does something great he can’t even contain himself. The man who throws
touchdowns and sprints down that field beating his chest. The guy who plays
recklessly and with a fierce passion. You have played for Jesus. He restored
you on that field and you have glorified him. You know it is not about playing
time, or touchdowns, or recognition. You know these things do not define you,
but what does is that whatever you are doing that you GLORIFY HIM. Conrad you
have done that and I am extremely proud. I love that man you have become on
that field and in life. God has used football to make you a better man.
Conrad Schottel, I have never met a
better leader than you. Leadership is something God has gifted you with, and
football has made you an even better leader.
I have been blessed to watch you play football for 7 years and watch you
lead so many brothers on and off the field and I am so proud of you. Seeing you
lead on that field has given me confidence that you will be an amazing husband.
I know you will lead our family so well. I know you will do whatever you need
to do for our family. Football has been a way for you to show your leadership
skills, and now with that ending I am so geeked (stole your word) for God to
continuously show you other ways to lead. You are an amazing football player,
but an even better man.
I will forever miss you winking at me on the sidelines,
watching you pound your chest running down the field after a long touchdown
pass, the hours of football talk, and being wrapped up in those sweaty hugs
post game. I hope these are a part of my heaven, because they bring me so much
joy. I might be (okay I am) crying right now thinking of football ending. It has been
and will forever be a part of our relationship. I can’t wait to share these
memories with our children. But even more than that I can’t wait for the joy
that Heaven will bring with you (you get to play football without knee pain!).
I love you my big 14 and can’t wait to see you at the altar
so soon.
