What the World Cup Gave Us

I’m still coming down from the high of Spain winning the World Cup. As life returns to normal, I keep thinking about what a joyful summer it’s been, and how much the games did for my well-being.

·      Community. There’s something magical about watching sports together. It creates a wave of collective emotion that bonds people, even strangers. I shared sighs of relief and high fives during penalty shootouts with people who felt like friends for that moment. And some of my favorite scenes weren’t even from the matches, like fans from opposing teams with their arms around each other, smiling for photos. My husband is from Spain, and it felt like everyone we know was cheering for La Roja. When Spain won, my phone blew up. And I’ll never forget the images of thousands of Spaniards cheering together in towns across the country.

·      Pride. Hosting the World Cup across the Americas gave me real sense of pride, in my country and in my city. I live in Atlanta, and I loved hearing visitors rave about our stadium and how welcoming everyone has been. People were having a great time everywhere. How many places did you see the Norwegians rowing? And did Boston really run short on beer thanks to the Scots?

·      Escape. The games gave us somewhere else to focus our attention, a welcome escape from the stressful realities of the world right now. It was wonderful to have something to look forward to, and to talk about, that had nothing to do with the news.

·      Awe. Watching the best soccer players in the world go head to head was amazing. Awe is that feeling of being overwhelmed by greatness. It shrinks our sense of self and expands our sense of connection to others. There were too many awe-inspiring plays, goals, and blocks to count!

It’s probably a good thing the World Cup is over. I know plenty of people who were a lot less productive than usual this summer, myself included. But I’m grateful for every minute of it!