KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It's a bittersweet week for some Chiefs fans as the excitement of the Super Bowl is tempered by the loss of a family member.
Suzanne Lopez got her love for the Chiefs from her late mother, Barbara Muldrew, a true Chiefs fanatic.
"I just remember her just living the Chiefs, so the Chiefs are just really special to me because it's my connections to her," Susanne Lopez
The Chiefs are part of many of Lopez's cherished memories.
"We used to go to River Falls when I was younger to go to training camp when it was up in Wisconsin," Lopez said. "We used to have season tickets, go to all the games. I lived in Western Kansas, so we would drive 6 hours to go to the games and stay in KC," Lopez said.
Her mother made watching the Chiefs unforgettable, whether from home or at Arrowhead Stadium.
"I remember her screaming at the TV and all of her crazy costumes she used to wear to the games before that was the thing," Lopez said. "Running around trying to get autographs from Marcus Allen, she was in love with Marcus Allen," Lopez said.
Muldrew wanted to see the Chiefs make it to the Super Bowl.
But she died at age 50 in 2003.
"I know that she just would have been so excited that we've reached this level," Lopez said.
Nearly 20 years later, there is one place where Lopez feels closest to her mom.
"It sounds so silly, but I feel like she is there," Lopez said. "If there is a heaven for Chiefs fans, it would be Arrowhead. It's a connection for me and so my friend's kind of make fun of me because I cry almost every Chiefs game if we are there."
As the years and football seasons pass, Lopez still wishes her mom could be here for the best times in team history.
"Now that I am older, that I wish that we could experience those things together, but at least I have the memory of her being in that place and just loving it so much," Lopez said.
Experts say remembering family members in ways that make you happy is good for your soul.
"It's memories that are created and when we go back and when we see the team come out, it brings back memories of all the years gone by and all the players," Dr. Greg Nawalanic, Clinical Director of Psychology Services at The University of Kansas Health System's Strawberry Hill Campus. "It's a real touchstone in a way to come together."
