After an exhausting week at work, I decided to keep it simple Saturday evening at the Patterson home. And we created what I hope to be a routine weekly tradition with our family.
Balancing a variety of boxes against her chest, our daughter arrived in the living room with an assortment of board games, pleading to have “game night.” How could we say no?
For the next few hours, we all gathered around the living room table and played a variety of different board games. From checkers to chess to Heads Up...even our teenager emerged from his room to participate in the night’s actitivities.
Having my 14-year-old acting out scenes with a card being held on his head was just the sight I needed to see. He is getting at the age where he keeps to himself. But for a few hours this weekend, he was that bright-eyed toddler I remembered, laughing and being silly over a simple board game.
Our daughter Elsie destroyed me in a game of checkers. Our youngest son Jase even came very close to beating me in a beginner’s game of chess.
After I picked up all the loose game pieces, swept up about a mountain of chip crumbs and poured all the grape soda cups down the drain...I smiled thinking about all the fun we had in those few short hours.
We didn’t spend any money “out on the town.” But we all went to bed that evening with smiles on our faces and plans of attack for the next round of game night.
It is those simple times that make the best memories. And as our oldest son James made his way to bed, I patted him on the back and told him I had a fun time playing games with him.
“Me too,” he said, with a grin. “Let’s do it next week.”
And I hope we will.
