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Each day our high school math teacher would show us how to work a new problem, give us a fresh assignment, and then sit at his desk and play solitaire the rest of the class period while the students muddled their way through the lesson. Thank heavens I sat amongst friends who were both patient and a step ahead of me in math.
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Abe couldn’t get anybody to play Monopoly with him one Saturday. He sat the board up and hoped, but nobody would play. After awhile I heard things like, “Are you sure you want to make that move? You’re going to regret it” and “You’re going down.” I turned to look and he was playing himself. That game kept him entertained for a couple of hours. Surprise. Surprise. He won.
♥
One night, just a few years ago, we were playing Hearts. I dumped the queen on Cali one hand. Oh, it did torque her. She said, “But you’re the mom.” I explained that we were temporarily competitors, not kith and kin. She was not persuaded, “But, you’re always the mom.” She was quiet the rest of the game.
The next night we played again and Cali dumped the queen on me in an early hand. She said, “There. That feels better. All day long I would get mad about you not protecting me last night, and then I’d think, ‘Save it for the ring, Cali. Save it for the ring.’”
The rule of that game was clear: once a mom, always a mom, queen or no queen, heart or no heart. A rule I'd do well not to forget.
7 comments:
Hearts is a game I just can't take. I'd never played, so my sister & brother-in-law had us over for dinner and a game. Added to the stress of being newly-wed and having a really rough week at scool was frustration of trying to figure out the rules. I lost, and I lost bad. Then I lost it and started crying. Everyone sat there staring (it's just a game!) and they don't often bring up Hearts anymore.
That's a great quote, and the whole post is a fun tie-in to your last post. (I also liked the symbols dividing the thoughts.)
I'll learn the 'always the mom' lesson vicariously, I think. Thank-you very much.
I beat Chance up at the shooting range this weekend and learned the same lesson. I'm the mom and a GIRL - what was I thinking?
I think there is more to the hearts story. You nailed me with the queen and many of your hearts in that fateful round of hearts. All the rest of that night and the next day I was furious. How could you dump on me like that. I saw, for the first time, you being competitively vicious... you didn't dump one, you dumped them ALL. I kept telling myself, "save it for the ring."
The next night, I was BLESSED to be dealt the queen of spades over and over. OVER and OVER I gracefully dumped her onto you. My only goal was to make you lose.
I too learned a lesson that night. Moderation in all things. Only the first time I dumped the queen did it feel glorious. After that, it felt mean and spiteful.
Next time I hope to learn the higher law... "turn the other cheeck."
-wink-
I love you Mama,
Cali
Which is why the only cardgame I play with my young children is Memory.
But with my sisters and girl-cousins it's no-holds-barred King's Rummy - aka Bloody Smash - which sounds horrible but is actually a far more cerebral and far less vicious game than Hearts so often turns out to be.
fun memories...we could do a whole blog with memories from games we play!
Oh, how I love this post! Especially the "kith and kin" part. I always say, there is no room for love in cards...
(have I told you lately how much I enjoy reading the comments from your family?)
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