For “Hawk” fans, Feb. 1st didn’t turn out like we wanted. The next morning, Groundhog Day, was worse. It was like the movie. The game and that last play kept playing over and over and over again — but with no hope of a happy ending whenever we awoke.

It was a depressing Groundhog Day and I really didn’t give a darn if the varmint saw his shadow or not.

But the more I dwelled on the game, the more I found reasons to be an even better fan with a renewed belief in the Seahawks — as a team and an organization. They are a beacon of light in an area known for its raining, overcast days (and snow for us in Western Montana).

This version of the Seahawks has brought many days of sunshine, blue bird days in the winter time, and joy, especially during the dark days of winter. The joy is reflected in how they play the game and how we watch them; the ways they live their lives; the way their share their lives with us on and off the field. It is remarkable and appreciated.

As I reflected back to last year’s Super Bowl, the lasting image is the football flying by Peyton Manning on the first play, resulting in a safety. That game was over almost before it began. In contrast, Super Bowl XLIX was a game for the ages, with the whole game burned in my memory — not just the Hawk’s last play.

While some “Hawk” fans may be disgusted and dismayed by the last play, I encourage them to find solace in Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If.”

My rereading of it puts our team and this loss into perspective. I’ve reproduced a few stanzas, with my own thoughts about their applicability:

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

How many of us doubted Pete Carol, Russell Wilson and the team when they went for a touchdown with six seconds left in the first half? I know I did; I also know without that success, that gutsy call and perfect execution, the game might not been nearly as close and entertaining.

If you can dream — and not make dreams your master;

If you can think — and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

This team is made up of young men and older coaches acting like young men. They dream, think and yes, meet Triumph and Disaster daily. They are supported by their spouses, girlfriends, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, and one hell of a lot of fans.

They have met and brought us so many more Triumphs than Disasters. Their losses, our losses, are bearable because this team and their coaches know that family is the glue of their lives, so they treat these two impostors just the same. So should we.

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch — and toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

As I went to bed on Feb. 1, I couldn’t fathom how badly I felt about this loss. We “Hawk” fans take our team to heart; they are part of our family. As bad as we felt, our emotions cannot come close to the pain our team felt and will continue to feel.

They risked it all on one play and lost. They will start again, at the beginning and they have no need to breathe a word about their loss — at least to this fan!

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings — nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving [fans] can hurt you,

Seattle has a team of virtue who walks with the rich and mighty, yet they never lose that common touch with us, the fans. If their foes can’t hurt them, then we fans should not either.

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

And — which is more — you’ll be [our team] and yes,

you’ll be a Man, [our] son(s)!

In my own life, it has been the losses and defeats that have defined me more than my victories. I suspect this defeat; this lesson will define this team in a manner and way that will make future successes and victories so much sweeter.

In some ways, the loss took the Seahawks from a much beloved regional team to a respected and well liked national team. Next year’s fan base will touch all areas of the USA, not to mention Canada with our Canadian players.

Go Hawks — hoping and believing that you will be “finishing” up next year, playing on Feb. 7 in Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California!

Muri is a resident of Whitefish.