Reason to SMILE #96: GAME TIME
It was a rainy summer evening. A thunderstorm had passed through and the rains were finally slacking off just before bedtime. We were all about to turn in until suddenly the power went out. Since you can’t go to bed until the lights come back on (go figure!), we decided to play Uno by flashlight. What a great way to make the most of the situation! At least, that is what I thought at the time.
It was my younger son’s first time playing Uno and wouldn’t you 
know it, he won the first game! We played again and he won again! But his luck changed with the third round. He never had the right color or number. He’d get excited when the color finally changed to a card in his hand then just before his turn, Bam! The color would change again (or he’d have to draw four!). “Ughhh!” He’d half-sigh, half-grunt and then draw a card. “Ughhh!” He’d sigh-grunt again when the card he drew was the wrong color. Finally, he had enough when his big brother won a round. “Ughhh!” His sigh became an angry growl and he threw his cards on the floor.
Normally, at this point, I’d start with the usual “You know better than to act like that” speech. But my mind drifted back to a time when I was playing a board game with my big brother. I was all set to win the game on my next turn but my brother’s turn was just before mine. He laid all of his pieces down and won! That game ended with somebody getting slapped. The fact that I’m alive to tell the tale is a miracle!
What can I say? My kid hates to lose and boy, do I know the feeling! Despite both of us being sore losers, family game time always makes me SMILE – at least until the cards start flying and the slaps start smacking!
