INNER STRENGTH â—½ YOU
Where does your family gather to eat meals together? Do you eat at the kitchen table or coffee table? Have picnics on the floor? Ever use dinner trays? In today’s world, dinner time can look very different from family to family, and kitchen tables take on a variety of identities. Recently, I was reminded of this and more.
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Growing up, we almost always ate at the dinner table and talked about what was going on in our lives My relatives in Houston use their dinner table sometimes like a desk. We sit around the television, usually watch a game show, and use dinner trays to enjoy meal time together. It’s a fun interactive time together. We root for each other as we answer various Jeopardy questions, for example. I have other relatives that base their gathering spot on how many of their family members are home at meal time. I can relate to the latter.
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When I lived on my own, I wouldn’t always sit at my kitchen table to eat. When I had company, I was excited to gather at the table to eat. There was something almost magical about that form of quality time together. When I had a family of my own, I made sure we had meals as a family at the table, at least most nights. Sometimes we’d have a pizza and movie night picnic style, which had its own form of magic. My mom, on the other hand, used her kitchen table for work. She spread out her files and teaching plans and worked on her computer. When the boys and I lived with her, they were young enough to eat at their kids table, so we used dinner trays and I had fun watching them enjoy their food and helped them as needed. My boys were full of personality, so it was never a dull moment.
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When my boys and I moved out, we did eventually get our own kitchen table. It was a transition for us. They were at an age where they couldn’t quite grasp why it was important to eat together at the table. I was okay with that. I knew maybe someday they would. When we moved and chose to find a different table, it took longer than I had planned, and our coffee table became our kitchen table. I always felt like something was missing, though. The boys did too.
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This past holiday, that void was filled. We got a Christmas surprise! A table! Our first meal at the table was the best dinner we’ve had in a long time. We were together - no distractions. In fact, it happened to fall on the last day of Christmas break, so we reflected on our favorite parts. We all shared. It turns out that we all had at least two memories that we agreed were our favorites. That particular dinner time was certainly one of mine. I also turned that time into a chance for positive affirmations. I wrote something positive about each of my boys and they read them aloud. Then they wrote something nice about me. Matthew decided to show his humorous side; hence, the magic of laughter. This whole experience came about from the addition of a table.
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My boys and I have something else to add to our list of gratitude. It is lessons and experiences like these that fill up my cup of inner strength, so I have more to use when I need it the most.
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The next time you look at your kitchen table, I hope you’ll see it for the magic of possibilities it can offer your life as a family.