We were just 17 and 18 when we started dating. I would sit next to him at the computer and watch him battle skeletons on Doom. I had never dated someone who was interested in video games. Sure, I played Super Mario on Nintendo as a kid, but that was about as far as my exposure to the gaming world went. But there was something different about this guy; he was smart, quiet, funny and a bit of a nerd. I dug him.

Jumping forward almost twenty years, I love this man more than ever. He still loves his games, although gone are the days of dial-up internet. Now we have two minions of our own, 7 and 11 years old, who love gaming too. Minecraft is their current fav. The three of them all sit in the same room, playing in the same online world, laughing together, planning, plotting and engaging in teamwork to achieve their goals of magnificent tree houses, epic diamond weapons, armor, and vast farms of multicolored livestock.

At first I felt a little left out, I have to admit. I was jealous of their bonding. I’ve never been much into games. I’ll play a few silly time wasting games on my phone in between chores or when I’m relaxing at night after dinner, but I am far too antsy to sit still for too long at a computer or in front of a game console. ‘Come on mom! Play Minecraft with us!’ the kids would chorus – but I was a little afraid to get sucked in. I would respond, ‘but then nothing will get done around here!’

Sometimes my son has trouble…well, staying out of trouble. He can be a bit of a rascal. So one day, as a reward for his good behavior at his once weekly school enrichment day (options-day), I told him I’d play Minecraft with him. He ended up having a great day and I ended up joining in the game with my family. I totally get it now, that game is fun. But more importantly I joined in on something that was purely play, something they are passionate about. Now we can all talk about the game together and I can relate to them on different level.

So sure, we could sit at the table and play board or card games, staring into each other’s eyes and engaging in meaningful conversation; we do that too. But I’ve realized our family can have quality time doing just about anything – together!