This past weekend I’ve been playing a few games with Nicky. It’s probably the luck of the draw what you land up in these games but the important thing is how you use what you’ve got. I’ve been musing a bit about this after playing some games with him.
The first game we played is Monopoly. This has been one he has been playing a lot this past year, particularly with my mom while waiting for me during the hospital visits last year.
Anyway I started playing with him and quickly discovered his method. He waits, doesn’t buy anything, until he gets the two blue ones (V &A Waterfront and Table Mountain). And then he cleans you out. Now this is not how I grew up playing the game. We just bought everything we landed on.
I then decided to use his method and started beating him. He was quite distressed about this.
But you can’t just wait for Table Mountain.
Last Saturday he had both and he beat me fair and square.
This week, he landed on the V & A Waterfront and waited for Table Mountain. I wasn’t going to wait. I started buying up the green set next door (still pretty good innings) since I now knew he was either going to have the blue set or it would be split up.
And what do you know? Nobody landed on it. In the meantime I bought houses and hotels for my green set. And was cleaning Nicky out. Then I finally landed on Table Mountain myself.
Poor Nix. On other occasions he has really cried his heart out to lose but this time he was much braver and said sadly that he wanted to watch his IPad now. We still had an hour to go to bath time so off he went and I made hot dogs for supper.
The other game we played was Rummy. With this game you have to make sure the pack is well shuffled.
Rummy is less devastating, however. The games are quickly over and you start again with a new set of cards.
But whatever cards you are dealt, you have to figure out a way to deal with them. And you can’t get stuck on a certain suite, you have to be open to whatever card comes up and what possibilities it links up with what you’ve got.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’ve been dealt a difficult situation lately. But I’m working with what I’ve got to build something new.
I’ve also learnt a lot from my son’s Monopoly ways. To invest where it brings the most returns, and not to waste time on those that don’t. This past week I met with a financial advisor and Brett’s money will be properly invested in the right places.
I still don’t know how everything is going to match up but I know that somehow it all will….
And I’d like to think that there’s more to life than just a game…
I loved reading this Heather and your words are so true. One cannot sit around waiting for the cards we hope to be dealt because in the meantime life is still happening around us and if we work with what we’ve got, it may just even work out better than expected. Hope you have a wonderful week!
Thanks for your kind words Tracy 🙂
Just popping in to see how you are x
Love the metaphor. Life IS A GAME, I believe!
There is more to life, but you have to play what you are dealt with.
Love the way you are looking at your challenges and how you are dealing with it. Hugs
You have been dealt a very very hard hand Heather, and your strength amazes me. The way you stay so present with Nicky, and your optimism through such devastation, is an unparalleled gift to all who know you.
You say such lovely things Shannon xxx