More than a game: lessons and memories for a lifetime

AT THE age of 9, I was hooked on board games.

- MAYA JAGJIVAN KALICHARAN

My answer, when family members would ask what gift | would like for my birthday was simple - a board game, and I would go on to list which board game was missing from my collection. It was never a demand or expectation, simply a suggestion.

The best part about playing board games was the camaraderie; how it brought us closer as a family, both immediate and extended, helped us understand each other better, learn together and laugh a little more.

Scrabble enhanced my love for literally playing around with letters and creating words to score those double or triple points. I remain the undefeated champion in my family, and, of course, if we were playing in teams, everyone wanted to be paired with me.

Given my skills at Scrabble, it came as no surprise when I followed my passion to pursue journalism as a career.

Then there was Monopoly; that never-ending game we took with us on holiday.

I still recall those chalet stays, often around the fire in winter, strategising and having such a wonderful time that we didn’t realise we had played throughout the night into the morning.