Friday Night Special: Wrestling Edition
When I get home on Friday evenings, my five year-old son rushes to greet me. “Hi, Daddy,” he says as he wraps his arms around my legs. “Do you know what day it is?” “Yes,” I say as I give him a big squeeze. “I know what day it is. Do you?” “It’s wrestling day!” He yells.
My kids and I are huge wrestling fans, and we can’t wait until Friday night when we can huddle around the TV as a family and watch our favorite superstars. This tradition actually started when I was a child. My mother and I would unwind after a long week by watching huge, sweaty men body slam each other. It was the perfect mother/son bonding activity.
As a single parent, my mother didn’t have much time to relax. That’s why I cherished this time with her. It was two hours of uninterrupted quality time every weekend. My mother would get so excited when her favorite wrestlers, Junkyard Dog, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, and The Rock and Roll Express, would have a match. She’d cheer so loudly that I was worried that the neighbors would hear and call the cops. But my mother was enjoying herself and she didn’t care who knew it.
My kids and I also get pretty loud while we’re watching wrestling. Not only do we watch the matches, but we also play with our wrestling action figures during the commercial breaks. We may even do a little wrestling ourselves – for that extra energy balance.
Lately, we’ve been attending live wrestling on Friday nights. A local wrestling company, NWA Houston, holds matches at a nearby VFW lodge. My mother could never afford to take me to a live wrestling event, and I’m grateful that I’m able to share this experience with my children.
On wrestling day, we pick up some food and have a family picnic in the minivan while we wait for the doors the open (we have to get there early in order to get a good seat next to the ring). We take this time to talk and catch up with each other. These quiet moments before the main event allow us to remain connected and grow closer.
Together Counts TM is all about spending time together as a family, whatever that activity or time spent together might be. Some people may consider wrestling to be crass and violent, but for us, it is an activity that makes Friday nights special.
What are your favorite family activities that get everyone together? Share in the comments!
Fred Goodall, a Together Counts blogger ambassador, contributed this post. When Fred is not out spending time with his family you can find him writing on his personal blog, Mocha Dad. Fred started his blog in 2008 to chronicle his life as a father of three children and to share the different family values he hopes to pass down to his children. Outside of blogging, Fred enjoys music, photography and surfing the web.
For more resources on family activities, check out these additional Together Counts’ posts.