Monday, November 12, 2018

Building Relationships and Playing Canasta

When I was about 8 years old, I lived in the high desert in Southern California.  We had 5 acres of land, most of it a field. Aunt Margaret and Uncle Jimmy lived on the other side of the field, about a mile away.  


We were pretty close and liked to spend time together.  I had a pony named Frosty and I rode him across the field to their house every week.  Aunt Margaret taught me how to play Canasta. We played every week for about 2 years until they moved. 

 
Not only did I learn how to play Canasta, I got to spend time with Aunt Margaret.  She taught me how to be a “good loser” by saying, “if you’re gonna cry, I’m not going to play with you.”  I really wanted to play, so I sniffled, blew my nose, and stopped crying.  In other words, it worked.  Now I enjoy the game and Aunt Margaret and I have a good relationship as adults. And, of course, good memories from some 40+ years ago.


It didn’t take a lot, but Aunt Margaret’s spending time with me on a regular basis, made an impact on me and is a special memory I cherish.