Very few fans get the chance to meet their heroes, let alone a chance to have a proper conversation. For Isaac Murdock, not only did he get to meet his hero, Patrick Mahomes but he was also gifted Super Bowl tickets. Mahomes also hilariously told his superfan that he would be throwing the ball toward Isaac's seat during the next game. The Kansas City Chief's quarterback and Whitehouse native invited Murdock to meet him. The boy assumed he was being invited to a training facility for an interview but little did he know that he had a big surprise awaiting him. Isaac Murdock was born with a rare spinal defect that rendered him unable to walk. He was asked what he liked the most about the quarterback in a video posted by the sports facility's YouTube channel. Murdock shared that he liked his attitude and his humble personality. He also admires Mahomes' approach to the game.
Image Source: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs interacts with Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins after an NFL Super Wild Card Weekend playoff game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 13, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Kara Durrette/Getty Images)
As he was answering questions, the boy received a big surprise as Mahomes walked in and greeted him, before delivering the gift to the boy. Murdock received tickets for Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas from the Mahomies Foundation and the Kansas City Chiefs. The boy just couldn't believe it. Mahomes shared that Murdock was still playing basketball and living a regular kid's life. He also shared his hopes and dreams with Mahomes and told him that he wanted to get into broadcasting and be a part of sports in some way. In turn, Mahomes expressed that he was glad that he could contribute in some way to his journey and that he would get to witness the Super Bowl himself. He also hoped that he would still be playing when Murdock gets into broadcasting.
Image Source: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts during an NFL Super Wild Card Weekend playoff game against the Miami Dolphins at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 13, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Kara Durrette/Getty Images)
Later in their conversation, Mahomes told Isaac that when the Chiefs get to the Super Bowl and score a touchdown, he will be throwing a ball toward Isaac's seat. He also signed a football for him. Mahomes shared during the interview that doing something for people was a big part of who he was. He said that he realizes that he's very blessed and likes to share that with other people in whatever way he can. He said that even if he doesn't win another Super Bowl ever again, he can proudly say that he tried to be the best person he could be.
Mahomes shared that he would like to be remembered for things like these. His gift can also become a catalyst for something big in Isaac Murdock's life and would definitely encourage him to do big things. The Super Bowl LVIII starts on February 11 in Las Vegas and would mark a big movement for Isaac Murdock; it might even turn into a core memory that he cherishes. Also, being at the receiving end of an act of kindness is a powerful thing that motivates people to pay it forward.
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Will your current friends still be with you after seven years?
Professor shares how many years a friendship must last before it'll become lifelong
Think of your best friend. How long have you known them? Growing up, children make friends and say they’ll be best friends forever. That’s where “BFF” came from, for crying out loud. But is the concept of the lifelong friend real? If so, how many years of friendship will have to bloom before a friendship goes the distance? Well, a Dutch study may have the answer to that last question.
Sociologist Gerald Mollenhorst and his team in the Netherlands did extensive research on friendships and made some interesting findings in his surveys and studies. Mollenhorst found that over half of your friendships will “shed” within seven years. However, the relationships that go past the seven-year mark tend to last. This led to the prevailing theory that most friendships lasting more than seven years would endure throughout a person’s lifetime.
In Mollenhorst’s findings, lifelong friendships seem to come down to one thing: reciprocal effort. The primary reason so many friendships form and fade within seven-year cycles has much to do with a person’s ages and life stages. A lot of people lose touch with elementary and high school friends because so many leave home to attend college. Work friends change when someone gets promoted or finds a better job in a different state. Some friends get married and have children, reducing one-on-one time together, and thus a friendship fades. It’s easy to lose friends, but naturally harder to keep them when you’re no longer in proximity.
Some people on Reddit even wonder if lifelong friendships are actually real or just a romanticized thought nowadays. However, older commenters showed that lifelong friendship is still possible:
“I met my friend on the first day of kindergarten. Maybe not the very first day, but within the first week. We were texting each other stupid memes just yesterday. This year we’ll both celebrate our 58th birthdays.”
“My oldest friend and I met when she was just 5 and I was 9. Next-door neighbors. We're now both over 60 and still talk weekly and visit at least twice a year.”
“I’m 55. I’ve just spent a weekend with friends I met 24 and 32 years ago respectively. I’m also still in touch with my penpal in the States. I was 15 when we started writing to each other.”
“My friends (3 of them) go back to my college days in my 20’s that I still talk to a minimum of once a week. I'm in my early 60s now.”
“We ebb and flow. Sometimes many years will pass as we go through different things and phases. Nobody gets buttsore if we aren’t in touch all the time. In our 50s we don’t try and argue or be petty like we did before. But I love them. I don’t need a weekly lunch to know that. I could make a call right now if I needed something. Same with them.”
Maintaining a friendship for life is never guaranteed, but there are ways, psychotherapists say, that can make a friendship last. It’s not easy, but for a friendship to last, both participants need to make room for patience and place greater weight on their similarities than on the differences that may develop over time. Along with that, it’s helpful to be tolerant of large distances and gaps of time between visits, too. It’s not easy, and it requires both people involved to be equally invested to keep the friendship alive and from becoming stagnant.
As tough as it sounds, it is still possible. You may be a fortunate person who can name several friends you’ve kept for over seven years or over seventy years. But if you’re not, every new friendship you make has the same chance and potential of being lifelong.