Many of my fondest memories of growing up…are playing games.  My mother’s family came from a game playing family.  I played cards and games every summer with ‘Big Daddy’ and ‘Little Mama’ when I visited.  Eventually my mother’s brothers and sisters families all ended up working for NASA in Huntsville, Alabama.  As a result, five families of two or three kids each lived within 10 miles of each other….all of whom loved games and especially card games!

Saturday nights were ‘game night’.  We would all gather (usually at our house) for a spaghetti dinner and games.  Friends and family were all invited.  Sometimes the adults played their own games and we played ours…sometimes we all played together.  Saturday nights extended to all weekend.  Kids and adults would be in and out of each other’s houses all weekend long to play games.  My Aunt Margaret was the most obsessive game player alive.  She would call when she left her house to say she was on the way and tell us to have the table set up and the cards dealt.

We went from card game to card game.  Playing some for only a month or two…others we still play now.  It wasn’t just the games.  It was the time we spent together…generation with generation, on an equal footing, playing laughing and winning together that makes those times special.  If you aren’t playing games with YOUR family….go buy a deck or two of cards (or a board game) and try some of my favorites.