Wizard

My family plays games. Usually card games. Of my memories of family times growing up, playing cards ranks among the most frequent. We all learned to play "Patience" at a young age -- and to be very good at it! My grandmother loved to play "Skip-Bo" and "Flinch", and we loved to play with her. I don't remember any one of us being any better at cards than anyone else. We just loved the time we spent playing together. Chris has always teased me about being such a shrewd and competitive card player. I never thought of myself that way, but maybe there is some truth to it...

A couple of years ago my parents discovered a new game, "Wizard", and I love it! We played it often on vacation last summer, along with "Sequence", and it quickly became a favourite. To everyone but my dad.

If anyone loves to win more than I do, it's my dad. He is a fierce competitor, and if he isn't winning, he isn't having fun. And unfortunately, he just isn't often that lucky with Wizard.

The first day of their visit, Mom bought me a pack of Wizard cards. She hadn't brought hers, and she thought I needed my own. So that night, despite the basketball game on TV, we played Wizard. Chris won. The next night Mom and Dad and I played. Mom won. Sunday night we didn't make the boys play, since there was basketball and hockey to watch. Mom and I played "Sequence". The next night Chris beat us all at Wizard again. Dad and I are clearly the most competitive of the four of us, so he was not enjoying all these defeats, but I was really just happy to being playing cards with my Mom and Dad.

Last night, Dad was watching what turned out to be the final game of the hockey playoffs. But I insisted that he also play Wizard, since it was his last night here. Needless to say, he wasn't excited about the prospect, but he played. And more than winning myself, I hoped that he would win (of course that didn't affect how I played my game!) And — whattayaknow— Dad and I tied, soundly beating Mom and Chris! And Dad's team won the Stanley Cup, too, so it was a good night all around.

I do love to win at cards. But last night I honestly loved that my Dad won. Because I appreciate so much that he played with me, even though he didn't really want to. So maybe next time he will want to play! And maybe then I'll be able to win on my own!

(I understand that I have missed a post, and I do plan to catch up, but I'll do it on the weekend. It has been a busy week!)