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Family Meals Are a Gift We Give Ourselves

When you are rushing through the supermarket tossing groceries in your cart, you might be forgiven if you are not thinking of mealtimes as a great pleasure. But it's the running around that allows us to sit still. It's the prep work lets us relax into the luxury of not doing anything (for a few minutes anyway) beyond eating and enjoying one another's company.

So much of our lives is about constant movement, getting things done. Family meals let us shift gear. They're about sitting and talking, taking in rather than giving out, resting instead of running. To gather with our near and dear (no electronics, no interruptions) can be a welcome antidote to life in the modern world.

During the day, we are out in public — working, playing, learning, doing. We are individuals, each going our separate ways. At the end of the day, work is over, at least for the time being. We come home to our domestic life, to the place that spells shelter and rest, where we can re-gather and regroup. We become a family once again – part of a unit that can give us strength.

This transformation from public to private, home to work, individual to group member, gets acted out every single night. An obvious way to mark the occasion, to illustrate the transition, is by sharing a meal. It's nurturing -- a mini-vacation in a hectic world, a chance to sit down and catch our collective breath.

We all want to be listened to, and acknowledged. Children especially glow under the light of their parents' attention. We want to hear about how everyone's day has been, and do it in an atmosphere that is relaxed and fun.

Creating this gathering is a gift that always fits. It doesn't cost a lot of money, and it's easy to get or to give. It's the gift of being together.

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