When I was a little girl dinner was at 5:00 o’clock each evening. We would sit at our places at the table and waited for my father if necessary, but dinner happened when he got home. Meals were simple, home cooked, and the time together was important. A country doctor, it seemed every meal involved a call (remember, these were the days before pagers and cells, so the phone at a doctor’s home range incessantly) from the hospital where he was one of two doctors for many years for a small town. I think babies must like to interrupt dinner, it seemed they always decided to come during our dinners or holiday events. When I was small I thought babies were ordered like dinner off the menu. The nurses always seemed to let Dad know someone was in OB while we were sitting at our dinner, so somehow I thought they were ordered for dinner.
In our family, dinner is our gathering time. Our breakfast schedule allows me to have breakfast with the children separately as their school requirements are different hours. This works very well for our blended family. It allows each parent to have time alone with their original children, which at times was needed nine years ago when we began. Les and I believe that children need to be free to have time with each parent and that the shared moments during those “daddy dates” or “Momma dates” are precious. Dinner however, is a whole family and friends meal. Whomever is with us at 6 or so gathers at the table and there’s always room for more.
Last night after six weeks of summer visitation, our young enough to live at home children were gathered. Our new college daughter (for readers, we prayed for a new baby for nine years, God in his humor sent a 21 year old who is having a baby…and so we have two!) has not given birth yet, so we are all enjoying seeing her nine months pregnant with the baby so long awaited for. We celebrated the homecoming by having all the children’s favorites: fried pork chops, gravy, fried potatoes and onions, broccoli, corn on the cob, biscuits and black eyed peas. No risk of healthy living in that meal, but oh how we had fun gathering and preparing it together. The family meal table is so much more than the preparation of food together, it is a shared moment in time that almost always leads to conversation, laughter, and joy filled moments.
The times are changing, son2 begins college in three weeks, Kelly’s baby girl Grace is due in ten days, and Madison begins driving this week! It is an exciting time and each moment I simply want to drink it all in. What a blessed life we are living.
hugs,
Sweetie
PS. I shared a little video about Rachel’s blog at BasicsMatter.com
Don’t forget to link up with the other Company Girls at HomeSanctuary.com with Rachel Anne Ridge!
