When I graduated from high school and went to college (in 1986), my mother, Helene Cross (also an ACBL member) decided to learn bridge (and golf) as my younger brother was going to be headed off to college soon too and she thought they would be activities that would fill her days in place of the time well-spent raising her two children.

When I graduated from college in 1990, I would see her playing online and she would make me come over and try it. “You’re so good at cards Colleen, you would love this game!”   So I decided to jump in. I took the four consecutive Audrey Grant classes, with fabulous local Rochester bridge teachers, Sue Gaffney and Sally Hill.

From that point on my mother and I had so many wonderful years of playing bridge together. Local duplicate games as well as social bridge games with her friends.  She was so delighted when we would win masterpoints together. Just gave her such joy! I even made her go play at unit sectionals and it was just some of the best times I had with my Mom.  My first 18 masterpoints were earned with my Mom, Helene.❤️

After my father passed away in 2016, we saw my mother declining slowly. She passed away in 2020 during the pandemic due to a combination of a few things and of course the difficulties of the pandemic.

When I retired from teaching in 2023, I encouraged a good friend of mine, Laurie Platt, from my school, to consider taking up bridge, because I was going to need a new partner!  Together we took a year of beginning bridge together, her learning the game anew, and me shaking the rust off! (A couple things have changed since I played with my mom!)  We have been playing duplicate since then. We even played at the Finger Lakes Regional today in Penn Yan.

It has been a joy to be back playing the best card game in the world. Laurie and I continue to develop as partners and look forward to growing our partnership!  I know my mom is looking down and so happy to see me back in the game again! She’d be so proud of Club Master status, and I owe it all to her!