Yahtzee!!!

Yahtzee!!!  The box says that it is a game of skill AND chance.  The box also says that it is fun for the entire family.  Most games probably make these same claims, but take my professional gaming opinion….the claims are true.  Well, Bible Study Mama and Brother might argue the “fun for the entire family” point, but don’t listen to them.  This game is a hoot and a holler.

I have shared before that Bible Study Brother and I would spend our summers in St. Louis with our grandmother.  Those summers provided so many special memories and experiences.  We went to the library and the zoo.  We staked out our favorite spots at the swimming pool.  We ate enough pizza and ice cream to last us a lifetime.  And we played Yahtzee.

Yahtzee is a really simple game.  The objective is to score the most points.  You place five dice in a cup and roll them out on the table.  This is where the chance part comes into play.  You have no way to predict how the dice will fall.  You get what you get, and you don’t pitch a fit.  Well…you could pitch a fit, but that is not going to be helpful.  Because now your skill must come to the forefront.  You have two additional rolls to match what is needed on your playing card.

You can choose to throw all the dice back in the cup.  Or you can choose to keep some of the dice and roll the remaining dice to see if you can get what you need.  The element of chance is always a factor, but you have to gamble that the dice will roll in your favor.  That is the only way to win the game.  You choose as wisely as you can.  You play the hand that you are dealt and adjust as your turn progresses.  

Decades had passed since we last played Yahtzee with my grandmother.  And although I did not want to celebrate my birthday in a traditional sense, I had a hankering to get down with some Yahtzee.  I tried to explain to my sister-in-law that Yahtzee was our thing, but I know she truly didn’t understand until the game was underway.  See, when we were kids my grandmother did not let us win to spare our feelings.  If we won, we won because we truly won.  So, this was a no holds barred showdown between adults. 

The games were thrilling.  After months of being sad, I had some great big belly laughs.  My competitive nature came out in full force, and my grandmother’s competitive nature paraded in front of us all.  It was a thing of beauty to be in a safe place with my people.  Laughing and deciding how to play the hands that we were dealt.

Isn’t it funny how a simple game can show you yourself?  In life, the dice fall in crazy and unexpected ways.  When the dice roll out in ways that we don’t like, we have to make a choice.  Sometimes, we pitch a fit.  It does not help the situation, but we may get some momentary relief from getting our frustration out.  Then we are still left with a choice.  Do we pick all the dice back up and roll again or leave some dice out with hopes of reaching our desired outcome?  Or do we stop playing the game because it is just not fair?

Currently, I am playing the hand that I was dealt.  Even though it is not fair.  It is the only hand that I have.  This is where the skill comes in.  I hold on to my faith.  I hold on to my memories of my loved ones.  I hold on to the love that I have for them.  And other dice get tossed back in the cup.  I shake it up really hard and wait for the new dice to drop.  And I deal with whatever comes out of the cup.  Because I am a winner.  And I intend to do whatever it takes to score the most points.  #wepreach