Ali and I have been talking about buying classy Jerseys for the RISSE soccer team this Fall.  They will need about 20 jerseys, and they will have to have them designed.

We have been talking about names, and I said I would raise the money for this, they don’t have a name right now. The team had a meeting last night and Ali called me this afternoon and told me the team held a meeting and voted unanimously for a name: they wanted to call themselves the Bedlam Farm Warriors.

I said they did not need to use the name “Bedlam Farm,” I didn’t need that, we should just use the name “Warriors,” but the team was right behind him and started shouting “Bedlam Farm, Bedlam Farm,” and then, “Bedlam Farm Warriors.”

They love the farm, he said, and they love you and Maria, they want to use “Bedlam Farm” in the name. A friend said he thought the name was a bit warlike, but I said that was up to the team. It was fine with me. You can be a warrior for love and light (I try to be) as well as war.

I think the jerseys matter, the teams they play against have all kinds of fancy names and symbols on their expensive journeys, it will help their pride and drive to have some nice ones of their own.

Maria and I sat down and I told her this news and we both had exactly the same reaction. It was not necessary to use the name of the farm. But if they really wished to do it, it would be all right to get the name “Bedlam Farm Warriors” stenciled onto their jerseys.

We just looked at each other, and said, we have to pay for this.

I insisted that we would get the jerseys without the farm name on it, but Ali held the phone up to the team, and I could hear their shouts.

But we will insist on paying for the jerseys ourselves, if it has our farm’s name on it, we should pay for it, and we can and we will.

Well, I am trying to process this strange twist. No one has ever named anything after me or anyplace I have lived.

I am not a sports person, I’ve never played sports and don’t follow them much, not since money overran Major League baseball, and Bedlam Farm isn’t really selling or advertising anything. They really don’t need to put the farm’s name on their jerseys, but Ali says it is something they are all clear about wanting to do, for me, for Maria and for the people who read the blog and have already given them so much.

As I think about it, I like the idea of connecting me, Maria, Red, the farm and the blog and the Army of Good all together and having this very loving and beautiful team wear it on their jerseys as they play soccer, and form their own community to guide them on their difficult journey into America. Perhaps it will bring luck and inspiration. It will certainly do that for me, the idea of Bedlam Farm is a powerful part of my life, and of the team also, I suppose.

A year ago, their immigrant and refugee supporter center was burned to the ground by arsonists, today they are planning to get New Jerseys, going to the Great Escape Adventure Park in July,  and also getting ready to have a two-day retreat at Pompanuck Farm at the end of June.

I believe they are seeing the true spirit and soul of their new country, the real one. This has thrown me a bit, but I will get over it.

So I am good with it, I will accept it and not overthink it. They said they also want to try and get a patch or other image of Red to put on their jersey’s, and this surprised me and touched me also. I don’t know if that is feasible, but it’s  up to them. So we are going to pay for this – no donations or contributions for this, please, and I am happy and excited to do it.

I am still sick, but hopefully will be able to get to their game Thursday. Life is quite amazing, once we decide to live it, or as Grandma Moses said, life is what you make of it.