Who's in your reserved section?

   I can say I have been blessed enough to go to several college and NFL football games this year, each time sitting in the reserved sections of those facility that are for players and coaches close family and friends. Those sections tend to be a sort of safe haven for the people that sit there.  A special place where those with a vested interest can sit together, bond and know that they are all in this together.
   Sitting in this section can be a saving grace for an away game, especially when you are surrounded by thousands of people that hope your team loses. Rashaan and I often talk about going to people's jobs and heckling them when they screw something up. It's like that Peyton Manning commercial where he is cheering for average people doing average jobs.
   It's while sitting in this area of the stadium that I realize that I now have my own reserved section. These are the people that I have a special place for and know understand who I am and what I am going through.  In this section there are coaching wives like Megan, Heather, Kimberly,Nancy and Dei (just to name a few) who have been there before. Some of the coaching wives I have met don't make that section because they don't look at it the same way as these amazing women do. In this section I can also include friends I have known for as long as I have been able to say I have a best friend, these are people that even though we are separated by miles and space I know I can lean on them in times of need.  In this section are the select family members that understand that love and marriage are a two way street, nothing is perfect and that it's ok to not agree.  Also in this section are people that I have met that I can talk to about anything. People that I know get what I feel and say, some I have never actually met, some I have met a couple of times but they are people that I know hear my heart's song.
    When I look at those people in this section of my stadium, I suddenly realize that I have a lot of friends, family and people who are my average fan. These are people that for whatever reason on my "game day" stand and cheer but as soon as it is over walk out and go on with their lives. These are people that only show up on good days, they aren't the ones that are in the stands during my "snow storm"
     The hardest part for me is realizing that sometimes people who where in  my reserved section early on have now moved out. It's always easier to add to your list than it is to erase someone...those are empty spots in our hearts, empty spots in our seats, empty spots in our lives that when we look up we know they are missing.
      As our game of life wears on, we realize that those people that have stuck by you in the snow storms, rain storms, heat waves and brutual losses are the ones who you long to celebrate with the most when those amazing victories come. It's like when you watch those amazing upsets on College Football...the one's where the fans storm the field, if you watch closely the players are usually looking for those that they shared this day with;(coaches,family,friends) They don't usually celebrate strongly with the random people on the field.
      It's human nature for us to create our own team. For us to seek those that we identify with. For us to circle the wagons and protect ourselves from outside intrusions. So my question is do you know who is in your reserved section?