Games are fun, aren’t they? And somewhere between the belly laughs, the triumphs, and the disappointments, there lies a wonderful opportunity to see ourselves a little more clearly. Sometimes, quite unexpectedly, even a simple game can reveal something about ourselves that we might otherwise have overlooked.

It all started innocently enough. “Let’s play backgammon,” he suggested. “I used to enjoy that.” And so my partner and I set off to reacquaint ourselves with this ancient board game, with its beautifully geometric playing surface, round pieces, and the ever-present dice. We each have our own set of dice, although I suppose we could manage with just one. But why not enjoy the luxury of two?

In the beginning, he was considerably better than I was, having played much more extensively in his earlier years. In fact, he still had two backgammon sets: a charming little roll-up travel version and a larger, thoroughly bedraggled set that had clearly seen better days. Since we divide our time between two homes, we keep one set in each, ensuring that a game is always close at hand.

As we’ve played, I’ve gradually improved, and the balance between us has shifted. But what has surprised me most isn’t how much I’ve learned about backgammon. It’s how much backgammon has begun to teach me about life.

Just yesterday, I surveyed the board, considered my rather dismal prospects, and announced, “I give up.”

Victory for my partner seemed all but certain. But he wouldn’t hear of my surrender and insisted that we play on. And wouldn’t you know it? Almost instantly, the game turned around! In a flash, the seemingly impossible became possible, and I watched in astonishment as my fortunes reversed and I soared to victory.

What a game!

And what a revelation.

Suddenly, I found myself remembering other moments in my life when I had conceded too soon, when I had looked at the circumstances before me, decided the outcome was inevitable, and surrendered without waiting to see what might unfold.

Of course, there’s no going back to replay those particular games. But what about the ones still ahead of me? What if I could remember this moment, this unexpected reversal of fortune, and carry its wisdom beyond the backgammon board and into the larger game of life?

One of the most charming and captivating qualities of backgammon is the way everything can change in an instant. Just when you think you’ve got the game neatly sewn up, a roll of the dice can turn your carefully laid plans upside down. And just when defeat seems inevitable, a little luck can open a door you hadn’t even noticed was there.

We regularly revisit the question of luck versus talent and skill. Clearly, luck plays an enormous role in backgammon, but thoughtful strategy, patience, and experience have their place as well. And isn’t that another rather wonderful metaphor for life itself?

Sometimes, looking back, we can see how one seemingly insignificant choice changed everything. A missed opportunity, an impulsive move, a moment of impatience. Other times, despite our most careful planning, life simply hands us a roll of the dice. Sometimes it’s double sixes, and sometimes, well, it isn’t.

We can make our choices, develop our skills, and do our very best to anticipate what lies ahead, but we can never entirely predict how the game will unfold. Perhaps that’s part of the beauty of it. There is always something unexpected waiting around the corner, always the possibility that what appears to be a losing position is merely a chapter in a story that hasn’t finished telling itself.

And perhaps there is another lesson here, too: the importance of remaining in the game, even when things aren’t going our way. Not because victory is guaranteed, but because we simply cannot know what possibilities may yet emerge.

Backgammon continues to delight us with its mixture of strategy, chance, friendly competition, and companionship. There are the moments of outrageous good fortune, the groans of disbelief, the laughter, and the occasional temptation to blame the dice for our own questionable decisions.

But I suspect the game will continue to offer us something more: little glimpses into our own personalities, our habits of mind, our impatience, our expectations, and the ways we sometimes get in our own way.

Who would have thought that an ancient board game could become such an entertaining teacher?

So here’s to the games we play, the surprises we encounter, and the wisdom that sometimes arrives disguised as a lucky roll of the dice.

Play on! Enjoy life! And don’t be too quick to concede.