Life can be about the sudden moments -- sometimes cruel, sometimes miraculous -- that change things as we know them.
For quarterback Brett Favre, two of those moments happened within the last week.
Irv Favre, Brett's father, high school coach, friend and family patriarch, died unexpectedly of a heart attack in Mississippi a little more than 24 hours before the quarterback had to play last Monday night at Oakland. Brett Favre went on to beat the Raiders in one of the best individual performances of his remarkable 13-year career.
Then Sunday, with Favre and the Packers soundly beating Denver at Lambeau Field, something surreal happened. At the time it looked all but certain that Green Bay would win the game but still miss the playoffs. They were out of wild-card chances and Minnesota was on its way to the NFC North title.
Favre knew it even though coach Mike Sherman would not allow the Vikings' score to be shown at Lambeau.
But 2,000 miles away, Minnesota surrendered a 17-6 lead to lowly Arizona in the final minutes and, ultimately, the division championship and a playoff berth to the Packers.
As fans with radios at Lambeau broke the news to one another across the stadium, the Packers figured out what was happening. Favre rejoiced with teammates, then stood alone on the sideline for a moment and put his hands on his head, as if in disbelief.
"As I said after the game Monday night, I felt like he was watching," Favre said, referring to his father. "Something's going on here.
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"I've been around people who have lost a family member, lost someone close to them and they say that person is there watching, or you know, angels, whatever," Favre said. "I would say two weeks ago I didn't really believe in that, but I think we better start believing in something because the odds were against us.
"I was just in the locker room and everyone is cheering and I said it's hard to cheer because this is so unbelievable, it's beyond my comprehension. I have never been a part of anything like this."
As a Packer fan from birth, I have often marveled at the heroics of Brett Favre, none more so than in the past week. There certainly does seem to be an angel in the end zone.
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