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I love playing cards with my family, friends, people on the airplane, or people in my dormitory. Cards, for me, are not just a game but a way to connect. I could be sitting with people I barely know, but we would all be enjoying the same game in front of us.
Playing Cards lies in the art of strategy and decision-making. The decision-making connects to the decisions we make in life. Every move in a card game requires thoughtful consideration, weighing risks against potential gains. I have to make daily decisions, whether forcing myself to go to the first period or facing the loneliness of going to the dining hall by myself. This mirrors life’s challenges, where decisions often require careful evaluation of choices and consequences. Just like life, cards hold an element of unpredictability, keeping things exciting. A deck of cards can be shuffled and dealt in countless combinations, just like life often throws unexpected situations our way.
In my family’s favorite card game, BS, we learn to master the art of bluffing. Bluffing teaches the importance of calculated risks and maintaining composure even in uncertain situations. In life or a card game, Bluffing is an invaluable skill in navigating life’s uncertainties. I use my bluffing skills daily. The saying “Fake it to you, make it” applies to multiple things in my life. Being a high schooler, I must bluff to fit in. Putting on an act so I show things doesn’t bother me as much. I have been told that I am “hard to read,” and I used to take that as an insult. But now I see it as a skill I use daily. Thanks to my dad, I am a master at hiding my emotions and hardships from people. Bluffing can make going through challenges more manageable. The more you fake it and tell yourself things will improve, the more it becomes your reality. The ability to bounce back from defeat is an integral part of both card games and life. Learning to adapt to new challenges and circumstances, making the best of what you have been dealt with, and finding solutions amidst uncertainty are crucial life lessons that card games mirror.
The cards I have been dealt shaped me into who I am today. Whether it’s finding out my mom has breast cancer or switching to yet another high school, I have to learn how to deal with what life throws at me. Having to live away from my mom while she was recovering from surgery was the worst card I was dealt. I felt myself constantly picking new cards from the deck, hoping I would get a win in my life. Without these challenges, I wouldn’t be who I am today, and I’m lucky enough to say my mom is still playing the game with me. She still has cards left in her hand, just like me. Here, I’m connecting 52 random rectangular pieces of paper to life, but beyond their physical value, the deck symbolizes something more valuable. Dealing with the cards mimics the unpredictability of life, reminding us that sometimes, despite our best plans, chance gets dealt to our hands.