Monopoly

Monopoly - its a game that I dread playing.  I don't know why.  I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that it revolves around money, and/or the lack of it and the reality that I'm usually the one lacking it.  Or, it could be that whenever I played it as a kid, someone always ended up mad, or sad or irritated and incredibly poor.  It just doesn't create good feelings, unless you happen to be the one who is rolling in fake money, hotels and property at the end of the game, robbing everyone else of their pennies.  Yea - can you tell I really don't like that game?!

So, when my kids pulled it out this morning and all three decided to play together I winced a little, ok, maybe I winced a lot.  I just knew how it was going to end - and it was not going to end pretty.  I gave them the speech that 'only one person wins, do all three of you realize this?!' and 'someone will take your money if you aren't the one winning' and 'you can't cry about it!' and 'it is only a game!' and they all looked back at me and said things like, 'oh, we know mom' and 'we promise - we won't get upset' and 'we are just playing for fun'.  Uh -huh ...

They started out well, then Master S read the rules several times to remind the younger two that you can't just buy any property and you can't just put houses anywhere at anytime.  When Miss Lilly complained that Master S didn't want her to have any houses I knew we were starting to spiral.  The rules were read again.  Then things got a little more heated when Big D had issue with never getting the pot of money in the middle a few times, and the rules were read again.  At that point I told them they had 10 minutes and then it would be time to wrap it up.  Just before we got to the 10 minute mark, Miss Lilly was getting particularly frustrated that she had no hotels and Master S had more than a few.  I was preparing for the worst, thinking He would do the usual and read her the rules, yet again and then he totally surprised me.

He reached into the box and pulled out a stack of play money and said, "Miss Lilly!  I have been saving this for you.  Every time I got some money I put a little bit to the side so I could buy you some hotels.  I think I have enough to buy 3!"  Miss Lilly beamed!

I just about had to pick my mouth up off the floor - Master S?  Being nice in a game of monopoly!  And he didn't read the rules again!  Is this seriously happening?!  Where did he learn to save a little every time he earned money ... me? his dad?  Did we ever teach him that?  And then share that with his sister?  Amazing!

Every once in awhile I get a glimpse.  A glimpse of who my children are, who they are meant to be and I am in awe.  Monopoly still isn't my favorite game, but I think it has created a new favorite memory for me.  A memory of kids doing the unexpected, of rising to the challenge of being kind, of sacrificing for another, of playing the game, but bending the rules just a little, in an effort to make someone else smile.