How Was Your Day?
My parents ingrained good habits in me, and one was asking my kids about their day. I always asked because I wanted to know, like my parents did.
My parents ingrained good habits in me, and one was asking my kids about their day. Sometimes they’d lament, or be effusive, but I always asked. I wanted to know, like my parents did. Dinner was the only time we all slowed down enough to be together and talk. Mom and Dad would ask, and I would ask, because it was important.
An Important Gift
When I was young, and yes, at one point in time I was young, family dinners were a big deal. Mom and Dad would cook something up every night, and we’d sit around our kitchen table to eat and catch up. It was important enough to my parents that they bought us a kitchen table shortly after we got married.
More Than A Table
It was always a place to gather for family dinner. We’ve sat around the old table with friends and family to eat and discuss everything. I’ve written a lot of words on that table. The kids used to do homework there, and Angie has used it for plenty of craft projects.
It Was Time
The kids are grown up and moved out. It’s great, and it’s not. We love having family and friends over for dinner and have been hosting Christmas dinner for decades. (Angie cooks an amazing feast.) At a recent gathering of friends, I noticed that there weren’t enough seats for everyone. I also noticed the old table was looking a little tired in my remodeled kitchen. It was time for a change. It’s been a fixture in our lives, but we recently made the tough decision to purchase a new kitchen table.
The Right One
The dining area in our kitchen is painfully small. I scoured the internet for a table thin enough to fit, and extendable to seat everyone. The one I found is almost longer than our house. It has three wide table leaves and can comfortably seat ten to twelve people.
New Kitchen Table, New Memories
It was a good decision, and our first big dinner was for six of our closest friends. Everyone had a place, so no one was left out. I’m a little nostalgic about the old table, but it’s time isn’t over. It’s in the attic, ready to be refinished as a gift for my daughter. A table for her family to gather for dinner, so she can ask that important question: How was your day?