Pokemon Go: Why I Love this New Game My name is Bekki and I play Pokemon Go. Sounds like an AA confession, right? So Here’s my Pokemon confession. Important information: · I have been married for over 25 year to a wonderful man. · We have 5 boys ages 10-23. · I HATE video games. · I mean I HATE video games. When I was a kid and my parents took us to an arcade, I would pocket the quarters my dad would dish out rather than play the games. * The night before the release of this new app, our 10 year old showed my husband something he had created and then cheerfully ran to create something else. My husband whispered to me, “Sometimes I forget how young he still is. I need to remember he is still a little kid.” That comment was burned into my heart. The next day, our oldest (23) can home and excitedly announced that “The Pokemon App was released” and he had accidentally lost his ‘Pikachu’. (That’s a character in the game… hang with me for a second). By Monday the two memories had merged. Our youngest is still little, and our oldest is fully fascinated by this new game. So, sitting at the doctor’s office with son #3 I downloaded the app. I was convinced I could shock all five sons simultaneously. I had no idea what was about to happen. Son #3 exclaimed, “YOU are downloading Pokemon?!” The nurse saw my phone and gasped, “You’re playing Pokemon Go? I was out all over my neighborhood last night catching Pokemon!” I came home and quietly talked with my husband. I said, “You will be tempted to roll your eyes and dismiss what I am about to say, but please listen for a second. I decided today to download the Pokemon Go app and be “cool mom” and embrace this game with the kids. I think we should do it as a family.” He stared at me blankly for a second and said, “Really?” I said, “All I ask is that you pray about it.” Well the game has been out a week. Here are my favorite moments: · The look on my oldest sons’ faces when they were talking about the game and I casually shared that I was on level 3. There are no words to describe that moment when your kids suddenly see that you are not an alien from a different time period. Priceless. · The joy that oozed from all five sons when my husband said, “Let’s go catch Pokemon!” They all started running and talking to themselves… “Did he just say what I think he said?” · Watching our sons teach their dad (and I) how to play the game. They are so eager to have us understand. · Relating the game to our loves as Christians: o We should be looking for God’s fingerprints more intensely than we hunt for Pokemon. o We should pray for the people we see playing the game. o We should be light. · Seeing hundreds of people out and about, exploring and playing as groups. · Smiling, laughing and talking with people in the community. · Seeing new places. (The game sends you to landmarks, signs, churches, libraries, parks, and more). · The time with my family. For this short period of time, all 7 of us are playing the same game, going to the same places, experiencing the same fun at the same time. Since my husband and I are “all in” we are included in their circle of fun. It’s crazy. Pokemon? I know there are many great reasons to avoid such “silliness”. Remember I HATE video games. I HATE wastefulness. But this is not wasteful. This is spending time with our kids, exercising, exploring, socializing, teaching, and witnessing all wrapped up in a bouncing Pokeball. Thinking about going all in for a week too? Let me give you some insider tips to help you blow your kids’ socks off as well.