How Our Nintendo Wii Became "We"

Last fall, my six year old son went through a stage of wanting a Nintendo Wii game system. His desire for the game system was so strong his first grade teacher caught him crying on the playground. When she asked him why he replied, "I want a Nintendo Wii." A couple of weeks later my sister stepped in and gave him the Wii they previously used at her in-laws home. Owen was in heaven.

I am not a gamer. When going through chemotherapy as a child, I used the original Nintendo Entertainment System and played Super Mario Brothers III continuously. My mom once stated playing Mario was what kept me sane during the experience. She was likely correct. Following treatment however, I ceased to play video games. The video games reminded me of being ill and I wanted nothing to do with them.

The funny thing about having children is it makes you forget yourself. Within one month of Owen having his Wii, I began trying to learn how to use the controller. Games have come a long way since 1992-1993! For the first week I could not understand how to use the game controller well enough to click on the disc reader. Who am I kidding? The first week saw me putting the game in backward half the time.

By week three I was bowling with both my husband and Owen. Hannah is five and a half and doesn't think much of video games. By one month of owning the system, my husband tired of bowling and purchased Super Mario Wii for Owen's birthday. Even Hannah loves Super Mario Wii. I think my time of playing Mario during chemotherapy must have sunk down to the level of the DNA in my egg cells. Both of my children could play the game for hours on end except we inevitably get angry with each other over causing the accidental deaths of our characters (I said I began playing video games again-not that I am good at playing such games).

The newest game is one bought for me for Christmas. Michael Jackson the Experience is the name of the first video game I have owned since 1992-1993. Though my husband said he would never play in the beginning of our experience with the game he has played at times. Owen and I play the game every day. I look at him attempting to "moon walk" (I know the Wii only picks up arm motion but he doesn't believe me) and remember when I was seven years old and trying to do the same. My attempt was in the kitchen, with no socks on, and led to an inevitable fall. Owen is much better than I was at dancing to MJ's music and is now proud his middle name is Michael since it is the same as the person mostly responsible for such dance moves.

Children can change you and make you forget about previous problems in life. The other day I found myself drinking Hawaiian Punch-a favorite of both Owen and Hannah. When I underwent testing to be sure the cancer hadn't returned Hawaiian Punch was how we mixed my CT scan contrast dye. As a result, I became averted to the taste until pouring a glass for my children one day while focused on them. Hawaiian Punch tastes better without contrast dye... and as a mother.

It is incredible how children can change preconceived ideas, reverse psychological damage, and generally make us forget ourselves. I am grateful my son received a Wii-not just for him but also for me. For us "Wii" now means "we".