The Game of Life

Which piece am I going to knock over next?

My husband and I have recently established a family game night.  We turn off the TV, turn on the music and play board games or card games from our childhood.  It just so happens that last night was our family game night and we were set to play our first game night purchase – Life.  My cousins and I used to play this game every time we visited our grandparents, so there are many fond memories attached to this particular game.

I was feeling all warm and fuzzy and happy to be sitting on the living room floor playing Life with my new husband – our kids all snuggled around us.

Imagine my surprise when we began to play and I realized that Life now has stops where the player can adopt a pet!  I shrieked when I noticed the move on the board – you even get to pick a Life tile, which everyone knows is the secret to winning the game.  It could have been a move on the boards I used to play as a child but I’m pretty sure this is new…and this makes it a relevant reflection of how society views bringing home a new pet, right?  I think so. 

How amazing it is to know that the idea of adopting versus purchasing a pet is so pervasive today that it shows up in a board game meant for people of all ages and backgrounds…it’s pretty darn amazing and heartwarming.  And maybe it was the Crooner Christmas CD we had playing in the background (yes, I managed to cajole my husband into playing Christmas music before Thanksgiving – he is a wonderful man!), or maybe it was our three adopted pets snuggled around us on the living room floor (okay, the dog was snuggling and the cats kept walking across the board and trying to play with the little pieces…) but seeing that “Adopt a Pet” move really touched me. 

It’s silly, I know, but I secretly hope that families everywhere will see that move as more than just a move in a board game and make it a reality in life…