I have counseled many girlfriends through breakups. I think the ones that puzzle me the most are those that come by surprise. They are the ladies who discovered through the grapevine that their relationship could possibly be or definitely was over. They experienced a range of emotions but their main question was, “Why didn’t he come to me first?”
On March 11, free agency will officially begin in the NFL. Since the beginning of the year, teams and players have been evaluating skill, past performance and the market for positions. This is a known and accepted aspect of the business. However, there is still a level of expectation that a player will be provided the courtesy of knowing personally from their organization that they are considering moving on. Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers, is respected in the locker room and revered in the city of Charlotte. Unfortunately, like many of us in relationships, Steve Smith heard it through the grapevine that his team of 13 years was considering letting him go. Only, his grapevine was the national media. His initial response was exactly like ours. He just wanted the courtesy and respect of being told personally.
A couple of weeks have passed since this story broke. Steve Smith did an interview that impressed me on a deep level. He took the high road and focused on what is most important in his life. Sometimes our girlfriends tend to act like Josina Anderson, the interviewer in the below clip. They don’t want to hear about the positive way you are trying to handle a break up. They just want the dirt. My hope is that we are able to respond in the same manner as Steve Smith. In spite of the mess caused by all the dirt, we courageously begin the clean up process to reveal the real beauty of our lives.
Steve Smith’s Future in Carolina
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