Seasons of Scrabble and Mahjong

I wrote about mahjong, Scrabble, chance and fate; seasons of bloom, growth and decay; communicating across language gaps; and the unease of mother-daughter role reversal.

“The four of us took our places around the mahjong table—me, my mom, my dad, and Aunt Emi. My mom was the dealer for the East round, so she rolled the dice again to determine where to break the wall and begin picking up tiles. Aunt Emi got three flowers, or wild cards, on the first hand: chrysanthemum, orchid, and plum blossom. Along with bamboo, these plants correspond to the seasons, along with the Confucian values of uprightness, purity, longevity, and perseverance. The plum blossom is the national flower of Taiwan, representing beauty and resilience.”