For nearly 34 years, I’ve had a group of six especially close women friends in metro Atlanta.
Some of us met there because we’d attended a book club launch for members of the media; in time, as will happen, our group settled into a local few who connected and we continued to meet on our own. A longtime friend joined our midst, as did someone I met during childbirth class.
Our tribe continued to call ourselves a book club, though books gradually took a backseat to good food and drink as we discussed the changes that occurred during our three decades together. Even now, with me living in a different state, plans are on each of our calendars to meet next month for a fun lake weekend together. We may or may not include books.
There is little that could keep me from being there, though schedules are tricky, because each friendship is heartwarmingly precious to me.
Recently, I got excited as I eyed what I thought was another boisterous book club taking over a corner of Sammy B’s restaurant in Lebanon. They were clearly having major fun. I was there for a luncheon of past Wilson County Fair senior pageant winners and committee members. I had my own fun getting to know each of them better, but I admit I snuck over to talk to the book clubbers as we all headed to the exit.
Imagine my shock and delight when I discovered this was a tightknit group of friends who regularly gather, but not to discuss books; instead, they are there to play cards and enjoy each other!
“We first started playing the card game ‘May I?’ back in 2017 and it has become such a fun tradition,” shared Rita Wilson, one of the group. “ ‘May I?’ is a fantastic progressive rummy game that always leads to a lively time. Our girls’ day out is a much-anticipated event every two weeks that kicks off at 11:30 a.m. with a lunch and lasts until 4 p.m.
“The game was shared and taught by the eldest and most feisty member of our group, Jane Ling, who is turning 91 this month.
“It’s always a blast. Some folks even ask to sit near us for the entertainment, while others might be hoping for a little more distance with all our giggling and laughter. The wonderful staff at Sammy B’s has become like family to us; they know exactly what we need and keep the coffee and tea flowing all afternoon.”
So how do they manage to get everyone to continue to show up reliably after so many years?
“We plan ahead,” said Rita. “We schedule out for Thursday every other week on our calendar. We schedule our individual appointments around our card game.”
I totally get that. Friends take precedence!
“Over the years, our group has evolved from just being friends into a true Sisterhood of Support and a dedicated Prayer Circle,” said Rita. “We are retired individuals from various professional backgrounds, but the one thing we all share is our love for friendship and laughter.
“While we cherish our camaraderie, don’t be misled; we are all in it to WIN it.”
The members of the “Sassy Card Divas” group are Dolores Derdak, Pat Guillette, Malinda Kemp, Jane Ling, Brenda Vicente and Wilson, all of whom live in Wilson County.
“We’ve never discussed adding new members, but we are open to teaching others, sharing how to make a card group last over time,” said Rita. “It should start with individuals who at least like each other, haha. Maybe start with two or three players and grow from there.
“Rules of the game should be discussed before an actual game is played and ensure each player agrees on the rules in the beginning or agrees to disagree and learn as they go! Maintain the same scorekeeper and have an alternate scorekeeper. The scorekeeper and alternate bring the cards and scorebook to the game.
“Each player should be open and willing to learn (and smile while doing it),” she said. “To be competitive is natural and healthy, but not to the point of anger or losing a friend.
“Our goals are LAUGH out loud, LISTEN with an open heart, CARE about each other and last but not least, WIN the game.”
What could be better? I’m guessing even book clubs would love goals such as those.
Cheryl Lewis is a writer in Tennessee and can be reached at [email protected].
This post was originally published on here
