Kibitzing

At Baba's house, a card game was never just a card game. Rummy sharpened our minds, sparked rivalries, and pulled us fully into the moment, long before phones could compete for our attention. It also had one unbreakable rule: if you weren't playing, you weren't allowed to offer advice. "Stop kibitzing!" Baba would call out, catching Gigi coaching from the sidelines yet again.

To be invited to the table was to be offered something bigger than the game itself: hours of laughter, storytelling, and company that made the score irrelevant. This painting is a tribute to those afternoons, and to the family gathered around them.