My other half and I have this thing: we play card games. Notice I did not say board games because he is convinced those do not work with just two people. And honestly, for us, he is right. We started doing this during COVID when we were all locked down trying to figure out what to do with ourselves, and we just never stopped.

We love playing when we travel. Cards are easy to pack, easy to pull out anywhere, and honestly, we like playing while we are enjoying a glass of something. It is our thing.

Tonight we were playing and let me tell you he handed me my head on a platter. Not a cute little loss. A full on why I am even here kind of loss. And then he got annoyed that I was slightly upset about it. Meanwhile, when I win or have a good night, he gets grumpy too. So apparently the rule is lose gracefully and win silently. Sure.

I do not think I am wildly competitive, but man it stings when you get your butt kicked. This is supposed to be fun. Something we do together instead of sitting on our phones or zoning out in front of the TV. But after four straight losses the urge to quit is real. I refuse to though because in my head this is bonding time. Even if that bonding time includes me wanting to throw the deck across the room.

To keep the peace, we set a rule. We play until 8:30 PM. We usually start around 6:30 or 7. That way if one of us hits our limit there is an automatic out. Depending on how that last hand went we can keep going, switch to something else, or just take a breather from each other. Competitiveness is fine until it is not.

I will say this has made us closer. It gives us something to do when we do not feel like going out or dealing with the world. COVID tested everyone. Couples, roommates, friends. We all learned something about ourselves whether we wanted to or not. For us these ridiculous little games were part of that.

If you start getting genuinely angry and forget it is just a game, it is time to walk away. And if that feeling keeps showing up maybe talk to someone. Games have a way of showing who you really are. Especially when you are losing. And by losing, I mean getting your butt kicked.

I love playing cards with him. Sometimes it is a great game because I win. Sometimes it is just a nice evening. And sometimes it just sucks. He is the king of Canasta. Right now, we are playing Skip Bo which I can win. And when the whole family gets involved with the kids and my parents, or one or the other, it is UNO Flip or Phase 10.

If I am honest these card games have brought all of us closer. If you can find something that brings you joy, brings you together, and occasionally drives you nuts, it is worth it.

And seriously I got my butt kicked tonight.