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Leadership Matters » The Game of Life

The Game of Life

I read a story about a young boy who loved to play monopoly.  Every summer of his young life he spent with his grandmother, who lovingly and patiently played monopoly with him. For hours they would play, with the result always the same:  Grandma would always win.  She would buy all the valuable properties and collect more rent than the poor young boy could pay. At the end of each game, she would smile and say: “You did good honey, better luck next time.”   Every summer for years this young boy dreamed of beating his grandmother at monopoly, with no success. During the fall of his 11th year, a wonderful thing happened.  A new boy moved in next door who loved to play monopoly.  This new friend knew all the secrets about buying property and building hotels, and his young pupil was eager to learn.  Like a sponge he soaked up all the knowledge that the new boy had to share, and for an entire school year he practiced.  When summer came the boy could hardly wait to challenge grandma to a game of monopoly.  All of his hard work and practice paid off big that night as he brought grandma to her knees. His long-awaited victory included a celebration dance around the house that almost woke the neighbors.  After all these years he had finally won! What happened next is something the young boy never forgot.  Grandma quietly picked up the pieces to the game and all the money, and all the deeds to the property and said the following words:  “Honey, the interesting thing about monopoly is that at the end of the game, everything goes back in the box.  You don’t get to take anything with you.  The only thing that matters after the game, is how you treated the people you were playing with.” What an amazing story about life. Too many people spend their lives accumulating property and “stuff” that all goes back in the box at the end of the game.  As a Kiwanis leader, your investment in children and in serving others is something that is lasting and will survive beyond your time on earth.  Thank you for playing the game so well.  

 

Posted Apr 12 2008, 10:54 PM by Rob Parker

Comments

anne wrote re: The Game of Life
on 04-18-2008 7:53 PM

A very touching story!

Eduardo Tan wrote re: The Game of Life
on 04-30-2008 7:02 AM

We need more life stories like this.

Life's fables are always welcome!

Diana McCutcheon wrote re: The Game of Life
on 05-14-2008 11:23 AM

Hi Rob,

I was so touched by "The Game of Life" that with your permission I will share

your story while honoring a "Teacher" that has served the Jacksonville Il.

Kiwanis Club for 25 years.  This is the kind of story that reaches every

heart!  What a perfect way to share the message that "serving others" and

"how you treat people" is lasting, and what life is all about!

Thank you once again, for this touching story.  Of course, I thought of

my GrandMother, while reading it!

In Kiwanis Love,

Diana McCutcheon

Rob Parker wrote re: The Game of Life
on 05-14-2008 12:03 PM

Diana,

Thanks for your kind words.  You are welcome to use the story.  The story was actually told by a Author/Pastor named John Ortberg.  I heard John tell the story in a speech and I think he also wrote about it in a book called "Everyone is Normal till You Get to Know Them."  Glad to hear you will be honoring a teacher.  They deserve our love and appreciation for what they do.

Rob  

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