Ah, we’re a superstitious people, are we not? I’ve put on my left shoe first for as long as I can remember. A friend once asked me what I thought might happen if I put on my right shoe first instead, and I told him I wasn’t willing to find out. Truthfully, I’m still not open to switching up my morning routine, so the silly left-shoe-first lives on.

My shoe thing is quite mild compared to others. I’ve heard crazy examples of what some will do to avoid a jinx. This feels especially true when it comes to our sports fandom. I absolutely cherish our summers here in Idaho Falls, but at the same time I can’t wait for the fall. I anxiously look forward to football season like a teenager craving his first iPhone. And with the NFL kicking off next month, I’m reminded of something we do in our family each season to celebrate victories. It’s not for superstitious reasons, but more of a tradition that I started when my daughter was just two years old.

“Go Bears!” These simple two words, followed by the drop of a gold $1 coin into a glass jar have become something my kids look forward to following a Chicago Bears victory. With the season kicking off in September, will this finally be the year the jar gets emptied? Allow me to explain.

The gold coin drop began in 2007, the season following the Chicago Bears’ last trip to the Super Bowl.

From 2007 to 2016, the Mint issued four presidential $1 gold coins per year, each with a common reverse design featuring a rendition of the Statue of Liberty. It was the perfect time to start a coin collection, plus I thought having my daughter drop one into my Walter Payton Roadhouse jar following a Bears victory was a great way to get her excited about football. It was also a good way to put a little money aside for our next Chicago Super Bowl party.

My son was born in 2007, so I began dropping coins in for him that first season until he was old enough to say, “Go Bears” and drop a dollar in himself. Two coins per win, it was starting to add up with our two little ones both contributing.

By 2010, our three children were enthusiastically dropping a coin in after each Chicago win. However, with some disappointing seasons and gold coins no longer being released, I must admit there were some years I considered giving up on the jar. But despite long losing streaks, my kids looked forward to the coin tradition when a victory would finally happen. So we’ve kept it going despite some years where wins were harder to find than a brownie at a Weight Watchers convention.

It’s hard to believe, but my kids have been dropping coins into that jar for almost 20 years now! At this rate, we won’t be using the coins to pay for a Super Bowl party; instead, we’ll be flying to the big game if they don’t get back to the championship game soon. Will this finally be the year we empty the glass jar? Only time will tell. I’m just thrilled football season is on on the horizon. What traditions or superstitions do you have for your favorite team? Drop me a line; I’d love to hear I’m not the only crazy sports fanatic out there.