FOOTBALL's BACK!

Ten years ago, I became a "born-again" soccer fan. Though I came to the game late in life in my mid-thirties, I quickly fell in love. So much so that I began to watch the game religiously and even began to play it.

I have always loved sports, but there was something special about soccer - its fluidity, its beauty, and the fact that only teams that are well-connected and cohesive on the pitch succeed. In many ways, soccer is like life. Because of that, soccer - like many other "non-essential" activities - took a hiatus when COVID hit. Leagues throughout the world quickly shut down, and there appeared to be no end in sight.

That dread and uncertainty made today's restart of the German Bundesliga - the first top league to restart - such a momentous occasion. Nicholas and I woke early to watch the game together, like we used to do pre-COVID and when I first fell in love with the game. While the stands were empty and the players walked in separately donning masks, the game was as beautiful as ever - perhaps more so despite the players being a little out of practice.

We watched Borussia Dortmund take on Schalke 04 in a rivalry match known as the Ruhr Derby. Four goals were put in the net - all by Dortmund - and some were truly magnificent. I hope that this restart is successful and that other top leagues like La Liga, where Barca plays, will soon follow.

They say you do not know what you have until it is gone. I certainly appreciate that phrase much more and am so glad to see football return!