Eating Crow - And Liking It!

"Eating Crow." An old term meaning having to eat your own words; usually an unpleasant experience. Today is Saturday in late November and that means college football games. And not just any college football games...THE college football rivalry, the OSU vs. UM game. As a little background story, I was born and raised a Buckeye in the great state of Ohio but attended and graduated with my Masters of Social Work degree from The University of Michigan. So a Buckeye by blood but a Wolverine by choice. I always try to watch both OSU and UM games on Saturdays and root for both my teams, but when it comes to the big rivalry game I put on my blue and maize (just to spite my sister who is a current OSU student) and cheer on my alma mater.
If you happened to catch the rivalry game today you know that the Buckeyes won and Michigan lost, woe is me *sarcastic eye roll*. It wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't opened my mouth at work...
A few weeks ago one of dear co-workers and an all-around amazing nurse/person and I made a bet on the OSU/UM game. We talked it up, smack talked each other (all in good fun), jabbed and jibbed as we prepared for this game. As I sat on my couch and watched my beloved Wolverines tumble to their demise, my work phone would occasionally ring that I had a text message. "Uh-oh"...*ring*..."Front or Back?" I knew what he meant. He was going to buy me OSU paraphernalia to slap on my pretty car, since that was the terms of the wager.
Today I ate crow. I got too cocky with my team and it was my predestined downfall. My co-worker will probably rub it in and brag until next years game, and will never let me live it down.
But in actuality, it doesn't really bother me. I will take all the picking, all the shenanigans, and every single "sweetheart", "honey", "cutie", and "baby" just because it means I'm loved and appreciated. I have a work family that means the world to me; a group of people that care about my well-being, who ask me 'what's wrong?' when I'm having a rough day, the ones that laugh and joke and pick on each other because we handle some of the hardest situations and human has to face. We deal with death and dying 40+ hours a week, we cling to each other simply because our experiences are unique to this field and others outside of the office will never completely understand.
So come Monday I'll take those OSU decals and stick them on my car, I'll take every jab and jib because my team lost, and I'll eat crow and like it. I'll like it because, just like siblings, my co-workers might poke fun but at the end of the day I know each and every one of them are amazing people that have my back. I seriously work with some of the most amazing people, so admitting defeat on something as simple as a football game is nothing. Because deep down, I know that if I ever had to apologize for something serious - where I have to admit I was wrong on a minor work related topic - I'd be forgiven and welcomed back with open arms. My co-workers and I see how short life is every day and see how petty it is to harbor resentment, so we chose to laugh and forgive.

Life is too short for pride. Eat the damn crow.