My dear friend and her husband met at games night almost four years ago. Their relationship has waxed stronger with the addition of a beautiful baby girl and more to come as they desire.
When she and I sat together for breakfast a few years ago, she told me the story of their meeting in a matter of fact way; 'I went to games night, and I met him there'. However, years later, when I asked him to recount the tale of their ordained meeting, his point of view was different. They did meet at games night, but his narrative included all the details and it was truly romantic.
Any romantic will tell you that falling in love, whether before marriage or with your spouse during marriage, is truly an experience. I believe that games night should always help facilitate love, romance and passion; here are four loves to cultivate with the help of games night. Just like in my friends blossoming romance I hope games night plays a role in making the loves in your life sweeter, richer and fuller.
4 Romances to ignite at games night
New romance
If you are single and searching or have potential options that you are considering, then throw a games night! You may say you are too shy or don't have space in your flat; those are valid reasons. You do not need to be the gamemaster at games night; be the starter. Invite your friends and tell them to bring their single friends too. Tell everyone to bring a dish, snacks, or drinks, so you don't have to do much cooking. Rent or buy a few games, or create your charade or quiz. Getting to see your crush in a fun or competitive setting may increase or diminish your desire for them and give you more opportunities to talk in person.
Newlyweds
The season of a new marriage is one full of anticipation and sometimes fear. Will the marriage be good? If we had waited for intimacy, would it be ok? What about bad habits? Often, we have these questions that will always naturally answer themselves as quickly as they present themselves. However, lack of communication and differences in communication styles begin to manifest when we are in confined spaces with one another. We have arguments about how he squeezed the toothpaste and left his socks in the hallway. So before the silent treatment bubbles over, grab a unique conversation starter deck, and don't pre-read the questions. Allow your partner to speak and try to listen without interrupting. Communication is less about being the one to talk and more about listening to understand. Where there is understanding, intimacy deepens.
Mature Love
I once witnessed a couple using our African Lovin' deck; he enjoyed the charades and trivia. However, once she suggested they play the conversation starters, he instantly changed his mind. Sometimes, it is alright to allow those we love to choose which parts of themselves they want to show us at any given moment. So throw an intergenerational games night, and allow each generation to select and bring the games they want to play. Young couples can observe the mature ones and learn what traits they would like to adapt or neglect. While mature couples can both impact nuggets of wisdom to the younger generation and ignite the passion for what it is like to be young and in love.
Platonic Love
The love we have with our friends is perhaps the most enduring and steadfast love that many of us will have. They may have wept, prayed with us and laughed with us. Games night is an excellent culture to create with our friends; use conversation starters to learn more about each other and trivia questions to tease out their knowledge. Create a culture of taking turns to visit one another for games night. Someone once said she loved games night but had no friends to invite; I suggested she host and ask as many people as possible; guess what they all attended! When we feel we lack love and support, reach out to others, and you may find they are seeking the same thing.
So there they are! Four ways to cultivate love and intimacy through games night. Did I miss anything? If I did, drop me a line, and we can chat about it.