My mom, sister, and nephews went out of town for the weekend. It’s an annual trip, and when they go, my brother-in-law, his dad, my dad, and I usually get together for an evening. Sometimes it’s just hanging out to watch a game. Other times it’s a poker night.
This time my brother-in-law asked if we wanted to play cribbage.
Normally we only play cribbage once a year when the whole family heads up to the mountains for a weekend away in the fall. It’s a tradition that goes back to when my grandpa was alive. We’d all sit around the table at the cabin playing cribbage. It was incredibly competitive and fiercely fun.
The funny thing is that when you only play once a year, everyone needs a refresher on the rules whenever the cribbage board comes out.
As it turns out, my brother-in-law’s dad hadn’t played since he was in the Navy in the 1970s, so we started with a few practice hands before getting into the real games.
My brother-in-law and I teamed up against the dads, and after winning the first game by eighteen points, I admit I got a little cocky.
That feeling didn’t last long.
The dads proceeded to beat us three games out of the next four and quickly reminded us that experience still counts for something.
I thought the night was winding down at that point, but then Doug taught us a new card game called Golf. Each game consists of nine hands, and we ended up playing two rounds. I managed to win the second one, which is always a nice way to end the evening.
Eventually we called it a night and headed home.
Last night was about playing cards with the guys, but it also wasn’t.
It was about spending time together.
It was about stepping away from work, bathroom remodels, responsibilities, and all the other things competing for our attention. It was about sitting around a table, sharing stories, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company for a few hours.
I ended up staying much later than I intended.
As I drove home just before midnight, I realized that some of the best memories aren’t always the big events.
Sometimes they’re just a card game, a few laughs, and a Friday night spent with people you care about.
The Young Napoleon Project 