Got Game?

As I post this, we are on our way back to Ohio after spending 9 days with my sister-in-law and her family in a suburb of Chicago. Last year they came our way for Christmas to see our new house and in general one of us tries to go to the other every year to year and a half. We always have a great time whether it’s at each other’s homes, on vacation in a mountain cabin in Gatlinburg or even spending a week staying in grandma’s house after she passed away. I like to think she would have loved to hear all the laughter in her house that week. Why do we have such a good time? We’ve got game, that’s why!

No, not sports. Board gaming. Lots and lots of board gaming. We enjoy everything from a light card game, to a more in depth strategy game to a fun party game. We love board games. Don’t get me wrong, we love other gaming too….nothing like four people playing Mario Kart and navigating Rainbow Road to bring on the laughter as well, but board games are where it’s at for us.

This week we have played Splendor, Pick 2, Uno, Ticket to Ride, Flash Point, Pandemic, Apples to Apples, Codenames, The Oregon Trail Card Game, Phase 10, Azul, 10 Minute Marvel, Shut the Box, The Game of Things, Can’t Catch Harry, Citadels and Farkle….and I could be missing some! Most of those we played more than once and several of those we played many times! And I think seven of the titles we had never played and learned for the first time! You would think that’s all we had time for, but no! We went to church three times, went to the theater once, watched 2 movies at home, watched the whole first season of The Mandalorian, watched a couple of football games and had a shopping day out!

We know how to have a good time together. We laugh sometimes so hard we cry. We commiserate with each other when we do poorly….and celebrate each other’s victories. Okay so maybe sometimes we pour salt in the wounds, but it’s all in great fun I swear and no one takes in personally. ? Okay well maybe a certain 8 year old didn’t handle it well when someone called Uno on him before he got a chance, but hey kid….we love you but gaming in serious business and we take it easy on no one. ? (Okay before anyone gets riled up, he was fine after we got him calmed down and went on to win that game.)

What is my point in this post besides the fact that we are gaming addicts? ? Well while we’re playing games, we’re making memories…memories that will last a life time. While we’re playing games Stephen is practicing his math facts, spelling and learning life lessons like how to lose and win gracefully and how to persevere. While we’re playing games we’re learning new things, talking and catching up on our lives, creating deeper family bonds and creating much joy and laughter. You know the bible compares joy/laughter to medicine. I believe it truly soothes and helps heal the soul.

So I encourage you as we come up to the year 2020(wow!) to pledge to spend more time with your family playing games. Go make memories, teach lessons to your children when they don’t even know it and strengthen your family bonds through gaming. Heck, go out and buy a new game once a month…learn something new, together. You will laugh, you might cry, but no matter what I promise you, you won’t regret it.

Thanks for reading!