Fun and Games and Memories

The other night after supper, the boy got to rooting through the hall closet where we keep toys and board games. He pulled out this suitcase-looking set that we've got, one that contains several games: boards and pieces for chess, checkers, or backgammon. He's discovered chess this year, and cornered his dad to play.

After a game or two, he cleaned up the pieces, and then pulled out my old cribbage board, which also happened to be stored in that same case.

"What's this, Mom?"

I played cribbage a lot, when I was younger. My mother loved the game, and we played fairly frequently-- enough that the board in Kyle's hand was one she and Dad gave me when I went away to college. There, I actually got to win once in a while; I don't think I ever beat Mom, not once.

I taught my husband to play when we were dating (or newly married, I forget which), but it never caught his interest--rather like chess has never been my thing, I suppose. So we grew into the habit of pulling out other games instead (backgammon was popular at our house for a very long time). In addition, there aren't too many folks out there, it seems, who are familiar with the game; and my board is not a large one, designed only for two players, so if more are present it's not really an option.

As a result, I hadn't seen that board in a very long time-- literally years, I think. Even though it is, in a way, part of my family heritage, it's a part I've neglected, judging from the boy's question.

"That's Mom's cribbage board, sweetheart. Would you like to learn how to play with me?"

And so we did. He'll need help counting the cards for a while, of course; that's a lot to remember, when it's new and you're only 10. But we had fun; and we left the board out on the fireplace mantel for next time-- which hopefully will be much sooner.

Thanks, Mama.