This year I’ve been gifting the kids experiences for their birthdays instead of traditional presents. Friday, my youngest cashed in on his gift and I took him to his first ever NFL game. We spent our Black Friday tailgating and watching the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Las Vegas Raiders instead of shopping.

Tony and I used to have Chiefs season tickets with my parents, so I knew how to give our son a good first experience. We started our morning finding a tailgate to crash. He got to play catch in the parking lot with a friend surrounded by the smell of BBQ.

We bundled up and headed into the stadium early. It was already crowded but we managed to weave our way through the Hall of Honor to see some of footballs history. He was also able to see the four Super Bowl trophies the Chiefs have won over the years. I still can’t believe Tony was only alive to see one of those wins.

Eventually, we made our way to the upper level to find our seats. At first, he was a little nervous being that high up in the stands. After more fans filled in the surrounding seats, he became more comfortable with the height. I often wonder if he is more cautious in life because he learned at an early age that bad things can happen or if he would have always been this way. It’s a question I’ll never know the answer to.

My football loving kid took in every second of experience. He watched the team warming up, saw Mahomes kiss his wife and children, cheered as the players ran out of the tunnel, and sang the national anthem. That was all before the game even started. Once the Raiders opened the game with the kicked off to KC, he was locked on to every play for all four quarters.

I had been teasing my son leading up to the game about our family rule at Chiefs games. Son, do we leave the game early if we’re cold? What if our team is down by 20? What if our team is winning by 20? The only correct answer to all those questions is a resounding, NO. My Grandpa was an original Chiefs fan and what they called a Red Coater. He passed down the belief to all his children and grandchildren that you never leave a sporting event early. It is always anyone’s game, and you don’t give up on your team.

I wish his dad had been there in the physical sense, but I brought him and Pop along in spirit. I feel so lucky to have been able to share the experience with him. My son said it was the best day of his life.