To you, this might appear to be just another dining room table. But for me, this is my vantage point for every time my family sits down to have a meal together.
I wish I could tell you that 7 nights a week, we gather round this table for a delicious meal, sharing stories about our day, discussing current events, imparting wisdom. But in all honesty, these moments occur (if we’re lucky) 4 nights out of the week. Gone are the days of the Leave It To Beaver era of time, when Mom stayed home all day cooking and preparing for that moment when Dad would arrive home, promptly at 5:30, every day, and the family would sit down to have a peaceful meal together, with no distractions.
I don’t know what your situation is like, but in order for us to have these “moments”, we have to be intentional, we have to fight for them! We have to schedule them, make them happen, and then defend this time throughout the course of the meal. All it takes is for one iOS device to ring or bleep, and the whole moment is destroyed.
I will say this however, this place, this sacred place, is worth defending. It’s where life happens. It’s where stories of success are shared. It’s where tears are shed because of a schoolmate’s harsh and critical words. It’s where morals and values are passed along from one generation to the next. It’s where tough questions are (at least attempted to be) answered. It’s where memories are fondly spoken of from years gone by. It’s where fabled family members’ legends are reflected upon. Yes. It is where life happens.
Won’t you join me in defending and preserving this almost forgotten frontier. The dinner table.
Take time…no, MAKE time to gather your spouse and your children together at the dinner table. Because it is…where life happens.