My Long Lost Love

Board Games....I miss them so...even though I sit in a room with, at least, 100 of them right now. But who do I play them with? Very rarely anyone, usually my grandchildren, with made up rules. Or a game of Rummy with Mom (who has dementia and makes up her own rules occasionally, but still plays like a champ, which is amazing to me, because she can barely communicate anymore, but we can still connect with rummy) :-( I know growing up, Mom taught us to play rummy and we played together all the time. We also had board games too, but rummy was our go-to. It was some of the best family time that I can remember! I play some card and board games online, but the face-to-face interaction is more of what I miss, of a card or board game, than the playing of the game itself. Why are we all so bored, yet rush, rush, rushing? SLOW DOWN! Sit down with a friend and play a game! Always keep a deck of cards or a handful of dice in your pocket or purse. Go to a thrift store and buy one board game and have that on your coffee table, ready to play at the drop of a hat.

It is more than just the winning of the game to me. Most of the games that I play online, I don't even know if I'm winning or losing....I am JUST playing to keep my brain alive. I am JUST interacting with a person, even if we don't know each other, we know the game! I have met very nice people all over the globe and we all know the same games and enjoy interacting, even if we don't talk. I try to talk to most people I play games with online. Even just a "Hello and Good Luck", I feel could make a tiny bright spot in that person's day! And then the "Thank You" feels good too. After that, I always say, "My Pleasure", which gets different responses than just "You're Welcome", I think. But it also shows the southern belle part of my personality and my quirkiness too. And that always makes me smile, no matter what it does or doesn't do for the person on the other end of it. They may think I'm crazy or whatever, but THAT makes ME smile too! :-)

Also, board & card games are great ways to teach children, or really anyone, many different things that help in life. Not just colors, numbers, reading and arithmetic. They teach communication, organization and even emotional control, which I think MANY people need to learn a lot of! What a mess we would have if everyone, that is SO angry today were flipping their boards over for pieces to go flying everywhere....right? Actually, that would be a much better scenario, than what they do now, because they didn't practice better emotional control with board games and cards. Maybe less road rage, gun violence and even tragic incidences like the recent concert deaths. Maybe, just maybe more people would have been having fun and reacting more emotionally connected instead of, emotionally distant from what was going on around them! That all has to do with emotional control AND communication skills. Doesn't it?

Trust me, I know that card and board games aren't going to bring about world peace or change the cancel culture and rage that seems to be happening all around us. But I know it could change your peace of mind and, hopefully, the way you see your life and the world!