During my high school and college years I loved to play games. It was a great way to burn off stress, learn strategies, and hang out with friends. In high school my friends and I started off playing card games, always playing at my friend David's house. His Mom loved to have us come over and we quickly were adopted into the family. There was a big table in the Dining Room and we happily settled in for the evening. David's mom would make us food and we would bring some snacks and time would fly by like I had never experienced before. This time became a sacred spot on our schedules. Yes, we would all go through stages where girls would take precedence over game nights, but it always seemed like that was a short diversion. Another interesting perspective is that the girls that stuck around in our lives were always the ones who realized the importance of those Saturday fellowships.
Looking back I realize what an awesome gift David's mom gave us. A safe place, a fun place, a place where everyone was welcome, a place to fail and a place to learn. A lot of lessons flowed out of that little dining room. We learned how to express our feelings with an adult (other than our parents or teachers) as well as with each other. We learned behavior that was acceptable and what was a friendship breaker. We started placing a priority on these game nights because at some level we realized we were learning more about life than games.
We started off playing card games and because David's mom also loved to play cards this was the game of choice for a long period of time. But eventually we stretched out our wings and started bringing our own games, games that we had discovered and wanted to share. This led to less participation with David's mom, which now that I view these events through the lens of a parent, had to make her sad. She really enjoyed the fellowship and fun and tried to learn the games we were embracing but it was just not her cup of tea. So her role shifted to more of a host versus a participant, making sure that the space was reserved for us kids (and from David's dad - Ha!) and even though she no longer was part of our group she made sure from afar that rules and decorum were still being honored. Her influence, though waned, was still felt by every teenager that entered her home.
The memories of those lazy Saturdays remain favorites in my mind like treasured holiday scenes. It was a place of laughter, a place where we could say dumb, even profane things without fear of judgement, but mostly it was a place where we were family. A lot of friends came and went through my high school and college years but that core group always stayed close and in touch. We continued to meet and play games and discuss life for years to come and those moments are some of the best gifts of my youth.
