I’ve always been a pop culture junkie. I like to follow along with celebrity culture. So, of course, I’m a little obsessed with the budding romance between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. I’m a Taylor Swift fan, but I don’t know every song by heart like the most ardent Swifties. And while I know football, I admit I didn’t know about Travis Kelce and his brother Jason until this past season’s Super Bowl in which their respective teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, faced off. I became enamored with their mother Donna as did most NFL fans during the lead up to the big game. Truthfully, the spotlight on Taylor and Travis has increased my level of attention in the last few weeks. I’ve now listened to Travis’ and Jason’s “New Heights” podcast, and we watched the Amazon documentary about Jason and his family. I’ve read articles trying to pinpoint exactly why we are so locked in on their burgeoning relationship. My husband Ben and I have talked about it too. I’ve gone down the rabbit hole, and I couldn’t be more pleased. But why do we care so much? 

For me, as a mom of three boys and a daughter, my appreciation is partly rooted in the brothers’ relationship. I love the way Travis and Jason interact on their podcast. They have a tight relationship, which also includes Jason’s wife and daughters. The boys continually make fun of one another and laugh uproariously at their childhood stories and current events as well. They’re irreverent and potty mouthed at times. In short, they’re hilarious. They give me hope that the endless, and at times, merciless teasing that goes on at my house may translate into adult friendships that are not merely obligatory but healthy, fun, and close knit. 

As for the Taylor and Travis romance, those of us who admire Taylor want her to find a man who appreciates and respects her. And from what we’ve seen so far, Travis is protective and, being highly successful in his own right, not threatened by her stardom. We want them to work together as a couple. I think this demonstrates that despite all that’s wrong with our society, we love the idea of people falling in love. We want to bear witness to the first blush of romance. Love still matters, and we all crave it for ourselves and our beloved celebrities. 

I return once more to the concept of hope. While we watch much of the world burn and the threats of mayhem increase, we need something, anything, that gives us hope. Perhaps our focus on Taylor and Travis serves as a distraction, but I’m actually fine with that. I’m not suggesting we turn a blind eye to the horrors of the world right now, not by any means. But I think we also need glimmers of hope and love so that we don’t drown in the despair that could so easily overwhelm us. Maybe after we have our celebrity-based diversion, we can reconnect with the reality of the world with a better perspective based on love and hope. Are you ready for it? I am.