What is one tradition you had growing up that you’d like to continue?
Family dinner around the table! I have always loved this time together as a family. I remember it vividly from my childhood…. If it was 6:00 p.m. you better be at the table! We were always there Monday – Friday and sometimes on Saturday. I recall having many visitors join our family dinners… and enjoy the conversation, the food and the fun as much as we did.
There were rituals we could expect. One was the answer to Dad’s question, “Guess what I had for lunch today?” It was ALWAYS the exact menu that Mom was serving that night. It didn’t happen too often, but the three of us kids thought it was funny. It wasn’t a complaint, just a comical coincidence. There was also the bowl of corn that was repeatedly discovered in the microwave after we finished eating. And the day-old Twinkies with the black line across the box. MMMmmmmmm.
There was much instruction given during dinner about appropriate behavior which became known as “vacation behavior.” That was the utmost level of supreme obedience. There was conservation topics covered, like the aforementioned toilet paper scrunching discussion, saving water, shorter showers, more wearing of jeans and less laundry loads.
There weren’t many family dinners that I remember having to endure, except for the night my brother’s new two-tone blue, T-top Corvette got hit. We all sat in silence pushing our food around our plates, too upset to eat.
I have vehemently guarded family dinner in our home, but much to my chagrin, it has not been as successful as I always imagined it would be. Schedules seem to interfere…. hockey, work, church…. But I will continue to call the youngsters together with their mother and father and sit, pray, eat, laugh and just BE together around the family dinner table. I believe it provides stability. A safe place to belong. Long live the family dinner table.
Tags: children, dinner, dinner table, family, food, husbands, supper, wife
My Sister's Jar 
May 6, 2008 at 10:16 pm |
AMEN!!
Did you set your table just for this post??
I like your table
May 7, 2008 at 5:32 am |
I had this picture from our plethora of photos that we had to send with our adoption paperwork. I set the table just for that picture… with 6 places…. like it will be when Zaza gets here. :o)
The acquisition of this table is another blog in itself. But, thanks. I like the table too….. now.
January 1, 2010 at 2:17 pm |
Keep up the good work!!! I wish we had done more as kids and I wish we had done it more for our own kids. With the hubby working nights, we never had dinner together very often. It makes me kinda sad now. It’s so important though!!
March 31, 2010 at 8:32 am |
This picture is so beautiful. Reminds me of the house I used to live in. It was really nice, until we moved to Illinois. I loved that house so much I could’ve just jumped out and ran back. Would’nt that be funny if it was my old house???