Family Dinner Time

Note: I was originally going to include this in tomorrow's TILT post, but then it developed into something else entirely...

 ^That is not actually my family

My family is extremely close.  As far back as I can remember, my whole family would gather at the table for dinner every single night.  Sharing a meal together is just a little ritual that has strengthened the bond over the years. Naturally, that has changed as my siblings and I have grown up and gone away to college, but we've always managed to come together for a meal when we can. This summer however, my father's job takes him out of town every week, my brother works into the evening, and my sister and I are in and out so it has been sporadic. I'm fairly certain that tonight will be the last time we will have that opportunity for a very long time. It's hard to think of life without teasing Mom for forgetting to put the napkins on the table, or listening to Dad's story of some funny thing that happened at work, or dropping peas in Spencer's milk when he's not looking.

In an age when you can be sitting in the same room with four other family members and all be on your own laptop*, maintaining personal relationships has become less valued.  It is easy enough to lose touch with your friends from high school, never mind your own family members. I Facebook, tweet, and text just as much as the next 20-something in the modern world but none of it means as much as having a laugh with my sister over a serving of sweet potato casserole.  The closeness of a family dinner forces you to put aside all your books, technology, and TPS reports and focus on each other.

Some of the most important moments/conversations in my family have happened at the dinner table.  I can't tell you how many times my Dad has put down his knife and fork and said "Kids, we need to talk", which is Dad-code for "Pack your things, we're moving".** And then we hash it out right there. Get out all the emotions, figure out the logistics, whine/complain/laugh/cry/squirt milk out of your nose*** and then clear the table.

Whoever you are reading this, I hope you gather your family for a meal as often as you can. You don't have to be June and Ward Cleaver but you're never going to get to know each other until you break bread together. Enjoy the comfort of home cooking and each other's company. Unless it's barbecued pork chops.  If that's the case, all bets are off.

^Also not my family

*true story not in any way based on my family. at all.
** ok I can tell you. Six. That is how many times we've had that conversation.
***definitely a true story. Didn't think it was anatomically possible but Eva proved it was. Lesson learned: don't start laughing hysterically with a mouthful of milk.