DAY 68 - BACKGAMMON TOURNAMENT

Day 68

Twice a year, my brother invites my cousins over for a backgammon tournament.    Although there is a game involved, this event serves as an opportunity for my family to reconnect with these cousins we grew up with.  The evening is always filled with laughter and good food.

Last Saturday was our biannual tournament.  Because I’m the little sister, my family has never been very competitive with me.  Obviously, I am so much younger than my brothers that, growing up, they never thought I could beat them at any game. This Saturday, I won the tournament.  Although I am not of a very competitive nature, I must say that it brought me a lot of joy.

Game boards, in general, have the ability to bring on a lot of pleasure.  When you are involved in a game, the present moment is the only one that counts.  As a result, time passes fast and problems about the past and the future disappear. 

I’ve had many game nights with friends.  Every time we do, we laugh a lot, talk a lot, but more importantly, we enjoy the present moment.   We spend a great part of our lives worrying about things that haven’t happened, we’re afraid are going to happen or that have already happened. Creating situations in which there can be no other time than the here and now is an undeniable in the quest for happiness .