Victory

Today I am thinking about fun and how it lifts our spirits and outlooks and other unidentifiable parts of our lives. Friday night I had some new friends over and we played games. The games were fun but it was the laughter and ways people have of interacting that meant the most to me. Scattergories and Dominoes were our games of choice but they were just the vehicles used to allow us to laugh and poke fun and enjoy the company of others. We're all newly divorced and working on our own personal journeys, so we made plans to get together for a game night. At 7:30 three of us were tentatively trying to get the evening rolling and I was thinking "oh, please, someone else come so this isn't so awkward with just three of us." We decided to start a game, anyway, and within 5-10 minutes, two more arrived and the evening rolled along much more smoothly after that.
We played Scattergories which has a hideous timer which adds to the game..or takes away, for some people! We laughed and complained and were a little awkward about appearing dull, or just not clever enough to play the game, but after a few turns the awkwardness seemed to melt away. After a bit, we decided to stop that game, or actually the listening to the wretched timer, and we stood around the bar to get refills on food. It was then the conversations became a little more real as one or another shared a concern of his, or her, new and definitely unfamiliar journey. The give and take and realization that "whew, I'm not alone" helped to propell each of us a little further into this unknown territory with a bit more confidence.
We decided to play Dominoes and as that game progressed, the kidding and joking just continued till we were laughing at ourselves as well as each other. It flew by till someone asked about the time and we realized it was "the next day" and we were flabbergasted! Who knew a bunch of 30-ish to 60-ish year olds could have such a fun evening the first time we got together?
The next day was when I felt the victory. It felt more than fun. It felt like another corner had been turned. I had found a way to have fun, a way to add joy to my life, and a way to connect with others and make new friends. I wasn't alone. I "had a life" like we always assume others have. I know that's not always the truth in others' lives, but for me it spoke
volumes and seemed like an important victory. I'm on my way and it feels really comfortable.