Crazy Eights

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Playing casual card games like Crazy Eights has a way of loosening people up, breaking down walls that conversation alone might struggle to breach. It was over cards that I really got to know my Aunt Michele. Before, I knew her as the relative who always demanded a hug, but over this game she was a storyteller, a person with depth, humor, and a way of making life feel just a little more unpredictable.

My favorite story of hers was about my cousins, Mike and Matt, when they were young. One night, they were supposed to be asleep, but instead, they were playing games in their bedroom, laughing and whispering past bedtime. My aunt heard them, crept down the hallway, and threw open the door. The boys froze, wide-eyed, caught in the act—two deer in headlights, waiting for whatever punishment was coming.

But instead of scolding them, she grinned and said, “Have some candy!” Then, she tossed handfuls of treats their way before walking back to bed.

I loved that story. It was funny, sure, but it had this moment of grace that upset the expected ending.

We all expect consequences when we slip up, even in small ways. We brace ourselves for disappointment, for reprimands, for the weight of being told we’ve done something wrong. But every now and then, someone surprises us. They let it slide. They remind us that life isn’t always about rules and discipline. Sometimes it’s about kindness, about knowing when a little mercy is worth more than correction.

After hearing that story, I hoped to give someone a moment like that one day. A free pass, a second chance, a reminder that life can be soft and warm, even when we least expect it. Because for all I know, some small gesture of whimsical forgiveness might turn into a miracle for both of us.

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