Training Camp Woes
by: Jasmine Whittaker
Training camp is hard for WAGs.
I don’t think people truly understand why or how. In all honesty, I didn't really either until I had to live it. But here I am, three days in and all I can say is, IT SUCKS.
Personally, I don't have a full time nanny, a full time chef, nor do I have a full time housekeeper. I actually don't know one WAG that does. Maybe some do, I'm not sure though, as far as I'm concerned that’s all movie stuff. What I do have is two kids, two dogs, a cat, a husband, and a postmates account that I pretend is my personal assistant.
I know that when people look at me they see money, the gifts, trips, and the glam. Okay, maybe not when they look at me, because I'm usually in workout clothes with my hair unkept but you know what I'm saying, people make assumptions.
They don’t acknowledge the tough stuff WAGs have going on because being married to a pro athlete should fix everything.
They don't acknowledge that we are left alone for days, many of us with children that aren’t in school (thank goodness my 3-year old is). They forget that our life partners that we have prayed for and with are gone. That the people that vowed to be one with us and our helpmates are missing. Maybe I'm alone in this feeling but during training camp I feel like half of me is gone. I stare at my crazy kids and count down the minutes until my husband gets a little break to at least put a small smile on my face.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my kids. I am grateful for our blessing and opportunities—but I didn't realize I was signing up to tackle this stuff alone.
Really, I figured he'd be doing all of the "tackling" in this relationship!
I realized early, during this year's training camp, that I don’t just miss my husband in that cutesy Instagram post way.
I miss him in tangible, real, quantifiable ways like:
- I miss watching him play with the kids while I prep dinner—apparently it keeps them from drawing on the walls.
- I miss him handling bed time routine while I put away dinner— that keeps the kid from having an accident in the sheets.
- I miss him cleaning the liter box and letting the dogs out—because then I can lay in bed for 10 extra minutes.
- I miss the random Amazon packages daily because he noticed something that could make our lives a step easier and ordered it.
- I miss him remembering trash day—so I don’t wake up to the sound of the garbage truck on our street and the realization that I missed throwing the trash out this week.
And that's only the short list. This time of year is unique, it's hard to plan for and to prep. We come off of months of having our guys and spending quality time with them, to this. Almost cold turkey. So pardon me if I sulk a little.
Call me bratty, call me dependent, call me whatever but unless you've lived it, it's hard to feel it.
I’m blessed to have friends around the league during this time that just get it. Fellow WAGs that will offer to help when walls are destroyed, or at least offer cheesecake.
These WAGs will load up with me to head out on a 3 hour round trip drive so my kids can see their daddy for 3 minutes this week (they even pack snacks). I know WAGs that will carry me through the next few months when I’m crying on the floor, because something else has gone wrong and hubby is unreachable for whatever reason (meeting, practice, games, flights). When I’m hiding my stress from my husband (like we all do) because he’s tired and I don’t want to sound ungrateful, these WAGs will take me to lunch or listen to be vent on that quick phone call.
Off season is over, now the real work begins.
Thank you to my WAGs-- prayers and blessings for you all this season!
