Remember

How ironic that a childhood card game called Memory could be responsible for supplying me with a collection of wonderful memories in adulthood.

What you are seeing here are the cards from a game that entertained me over many a wet, wintry afternoon or were unpacked and dealt when friends came over to play. Basic in its concept, this game of taking turns to flip over cards, recall and locate pairs, did not lose its appeal as quickly as some of the more sophisticated electronic games do now.

Apart from the happy times I associate with the social interaction of the game, the pictures on the cards themselves also hold sentimental significance. Often I would gaze at the images allocating personal favorites (the fox), other times admiring the golden plaits (wishing I had them) or being simply smitten with the white bucket of poppies (which I’m sure preempted my penchant for cut flowers today). Like happening by chance on a beloved illustrated book from your early years, when I dusted off and examined the contents of this old game, it filled me with a pleasant sense of nostalgia, quite difficult to convey.

This old set remains in service to the current generation of our family, but I have seen similar vintage sets arranged within frames creating striking family room accents. Not sure if I have the heart to preserve my lot this way, as I do enjoy watching future memories seed themselves at our kitchen table.

Memory is still in current production, so a set is not difficult to obtain. Keep one on hand, and whether you have children as family members or occasional visitors, it can be just the tonic to pep up a drab afternoon.