Brittany McGee

As a little girl, I would spend hours playing rummy with my grandmother. I don’t know how old I was exactly when she taught me how to play, but I imagine she had grown tired of playing “Go Fish.” Sometimes my cousins or brother would try to play as well, but the game remained something special that we shared. It was “our thing.”

A few weeks ago, my host brother-in-law asked me if I knew how to play “Golpeado.” Confused, I watched him and my host sister play. To my absolute delight, it was rummy. My inner child screamed with joy and I joined in the next round.

While I am admittedly rusty and not as great about strategizing as I used to be, I enjoy the time I now spend weekly playing cards with my host family. I might lose to my brother-in-law 85% of the time, but the actual game is not what’s important.

Like with my grandma, playing rummy, or whatever card game it is at the time, I’m creating memories that I will cherish for the rest of my time.  I’m strengthening our relationships, creating a bond with my host family. It’s a way for me to get to know how they think, what they think, and learn about their lives.

Not only that, playing cards has allowed me to connect better with my 12-year-old nephew who lives across the street. He comes over, eagerly asks to join or start a game, and we play. At the beginning, I would ask questions about school, his friends, what he thinks about for his future. Now, he openly talks to me, offering up information without being prompted. Playing cards is also a much better use of both our time than wasting away on Facebook

In the coming months, I hope that I can teach my 5-year-old host niece how to play rummy. And, over the next two years, I hope we play so often that she too will have memories she cherishes, just as I do with my grandmother.