The final two minutes

It's no secret - I can be pretty intimidating when necessary.  I know how to use my size to my advantage on the volleyball or basketball court...or when I'm staring down an unruly class of 6th graders.  I know I can come across as pretty scary and when put on the net, I will try to slam the ball down your throat and when I'm under the basket, I will be using my elbows and knocking you down.  I love being physical and getting my aggression, anger and angst out during a competitive sports game.  It's even better when that physicality leads to a kill, a rebound...or a win for my team.

But don't let my tough game face fool you.  I am a big baby when it comes to pain.  I don't like being hurt, injured, inconvenienced, incapacitated or uncomfortable.  Some of it is probably due to the idea that I like being independent and doing things for myself but most of it is just out of the sheer fact that...I have a very low tolerance for pain and can sometimes be a bit of a hypochondriac.  It's not my fault, my brain just immediately goes to "what is the worst possible scenario" and therefore I think I'm fractured my entire foot when in reality it's probably just a mild sprain. 

I'd make a great Boy Scout because I'm always prepared for everything.

So how does this relate to the journey that I'm about to take?  Well, in the past week, pregnancy has gone from uncomfortable but manageable to unbearable and GET THIS THING OUT OF ME!  Walking is painful due to her head resting securely in the DOWN position and my back pain never ceases.  I'm not sleeping (poor Angie isn't either) and I feel like an 80 year old woman with arthritis in my fingers and toes.  In a few simple words...I'M DONE.  And all I really want to do is lie in bed, cuddle with Angie, watch television and have people bring me food.  But unfortunately, this is only the beginning of the "uncomfortableness" and I know that I have to get a better attitude or else I'm going to make everyone else's life as unbearable as my own. 

As an athlete, I'm a big believer in mental preparedness, visualization and positive thinking.  So the other day I gave myself a pep talk: it's the final two minutes of the game and I have a choice...I can either lie down and die and let the other team roll over me or I can not give up and keep driving to the basket.  It sounds cheesy but it has helped get me through each day with a slightly better attitude...and I'm sure everyone around me appreciates that.