Zingo!

A couple of weeks ago my mom, sister, and I taught the children how to play Bingo!  My niece purchased the game for the children with her own money and was so excited for my sister to bring it to Grace Village.  The children at Grace Village call it "Zingo!".  It was a new game to all of them.  I was surprised that they had never played it before.  We had about a dozen children playing at a time.  My sister and I were the bingo callers and my mom helped some little boys find the numbers.  They sat against the wall on my front porch as they eagerly waited for us to read the next number.  What a blast!  They were so excited when they noticed they had 4 numbers covered in a row.   Their eyes would grow big, some wiggled their bodies with anticipation, many snapped their hands (the Haitian snap), and many screamed with excitement.  When someone had "Zingo" they were ecstatic!  We played many games together.  At the end, they asked when we could play again!  I told them we could play more when I returned from Minnesota.

Last week, I returned from Minnesota.  The children ran to greet me with hugs and kisses.  They were so excited to see me!  Then, they asked, "Can we play Zingo?".  I knew a lot of children wanted to play so I invited them in small groups to play with me.  They were so excited!  I printed a checklist that included each child’s name.  I wanted to be sure I knew who had played and who still needed a turn.  I called them over in groups of 6 or 7 at a time.  Children gathered around the picnic table waiting for their turn.  They would peer over the shoulder of someone playing and get excited when they noticed that their friend had the number that was called.  Some of the older boys helped the younger boys and pointed to the number if they had it.  Each group played 2 games.  I was the caller for the first game and the winner was the caller for the second game.  I had a lot of fun playing with the children. 

Today I was reminded of the importance of spending quality time with the ones I love.  So, often I forget how important it is to live in each moment.  To cherish today.  I get distracted by the business of life and forget how important it is to slow down.  When I slow down, I am reminded of what is the most important.  Bil Keane wrote, “Yesterday's the past.  Tomorrow's the future.  But today is a gift.  That's why it's called the present.”.   

Remember to cherish today!