My sisters and I grew up playing board games-Clue, Battleship, Guess Who?, Operation, and Candyland. We worked puzzles. Did crafts. Huge readers.
But I never liked Monopoly. It took FOREVER to play. And I never won. I guess the odds and the rules of real estate were against me.
We also played cards-Go Fish, Crazy Eights, Old Maid, Rook, and Canasta. And when older, Chess and Checkers.
Little did we know the benefits of game playing. We know about camaraderie, stress reliever, and confidence. Here’s a link: 8 Benefits of Playing Board Games – Happier Human
In college, I played Gin Rummy and Backgammon (all the rage at that time). After, my interests faded away until I married, and my sons could play games. #2son and I played tons of Crazy Eights. The boys liked Chess but mostly played electronic games on their Nintendo.
One year, a family member gifted my dad a new computer for his birthday. Someone gave him a DVD of games to install. I fell in love with Mahjong Solitaire and bought it for my computer. I knew Mahjong solitaire was not the real Mahjong game.
Years later, a Jazzercise friend wanted to teach a group of us how to play Mahjong. I couldn’t wait to learn and quickly said, “I do! I do!” with jumping up and down. And what I knew about the game was true–Mahjong wasn’t solitaire.
Mahjong has all kinds of rules about setting up, dealing, and playing. For two years, I swear my mind felt boggled. Eventually, all clicked. However, some days I have been dealt hands that would never-ever work. And hands, where the last tile tossed, was my winning one. Or I got nine of ten tiles to a hand after dealing and won!!!
I’ve been playing every Monday for a long while now. The camaraderie benefit is definitely true. My skill level has improved. I love testing my brain in this way. My day might have been crappy; yet, a few hands of Mahjong make all that disappear.
Do you gather with friends and/or family for game night? What do you do for camaraderie?
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Hi Vicki, my family rarely played board games, so I never really got into them. Now our family plays cards. We use educational ones for the little ones and hearts for the rest of us. 🙂
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How much fun that you play cards with your family. I bet there’s lots of sharing and laughter.
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Hey, Vicki. Sorry, I’m a day late. Great post. I LOVE playing games. I did as a kid and then did with our kids. My husband isn’t much into game playing. Sees it as a waste of time. One of my granddaughters and I go at it hot and heavy anytime we’re together. So much fun. And I’ve just discovered Mah Jongg. Taking classes at my church on Tuesdays. It is such a great brain tester. I can feel those little dendrites growing and expanding. I’m exhausted after 2 hours. LOL I included a random group of women playing MJ in one of my books. I’d actually observed them in a café in Maine. These “old” ladies were laughing and having a great time. I had to go over and see what was going on. It was Mah Jongg. They played weekly. Yes, the camaraderie is super important, too. Love your post. I’ve shared.
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