Motherhood made the World Cup feel like family

It began with a onesie: Ipswich Town Tractor Boys gear that crossed the Atlantic, which I snuck onto my then-infant son just before my husband came home. Adorable, drool-covered photos went back to Ipswich, England, the epicenter of my father-in-law's family, and became a reason to connect — a small moment that kept us thinking of one another across the miles.

My Belgian grandmother and father were less than pleased to see the baby in English colors. "The English?! He should be wearing Red Devil red!" she exclaimed, with a delivery that bordered on genuine betrayal. Becoming a parent made me read those barbs as long-lasting connections and pivotal memories rather than mere sporting quips.

England, Ipswich

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