After being gently yet persistently nudged towards exploring mahjong by my childhood bestie who resides in Texas–where the game has taken off in recent years–I assembled a group of local friends who were equally excited to play and also loved the idea of a regularly scheduled out-of-the-house ritual.
What started out as a group of women with a handful of things in common quickly turned into an active group chat and close friendships nurtured by our weekly game nights. At a time when we’re regularly consumed by the daily routines of work, motherhood, and the rest of life’s responsibilities, having two hours to exercise our brains in a new way and catch up in person has been such a gift.
If you’re excited about learning the game, too, I hope you find a way to incorporate it into your life and share it with friends and family! Mahjong has always been an intergenerational game that fosters social connection and mental stimulation, I’m so excited that Meet Me For Mahjong can bring that to central Connecticut.
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FOUNDER, MEET ME FOR MAHJONG
Kathy has lived in Newington most of her life. She learned how to play American Mah Jongg at the age of 12 when a new neighbor from New York was looking for a mahjong group and taught Kathy’s mom. Kathy’s mom then taught her and her sister. In the ensuing years, Kathy didn’t play often, but when she retired in 2019, she joined her mother’s group and has been playing regularly since.
Kathy loves the sound and feel of the mahjong tiles and how this challenging game creates so many great social connections. She enjoys sparking a love of mahjong in others, reminding them to have patience with themselves when playing this game that involves skill and luck. Having been a teacher for over 25 years, Kathy loves being able to teach once again, but this time it is her beloved game of mahjong.
When she is not teaching or playing mahjong, Kathy is crafting, working part-time in her local library, going out with friends, or playing with her cat.