The Kitchen Table

The kitchen table has many uses.  To some it may be a place to pay your bills, to others it may be where you do your daily devotional, and in other households it may be a catch-all for anything and everything.  In our house, it has been all those things.  To me though, its most important function is bringing the family together for a meal.

Big family meals with extended family are always so much work.  There is all the prep...cleaning the house, getting the meal planned, cooking it, and the dishes.  But sitting down together as a family makes everything worth it.  The visiting and passing of food brings a wonderful dynamic to the family. 

It does not have to be a fancy meal either.  We could just have mac and cheese and hot dogs, but if shared together around the table it is a special meal. 

Currently, we are very fortunate in that we aren't bombarded with kid's sports and school functions.  For the most part, we are home every night.  We are able to eat together as a family.  I know our time is short though.  In a couple of years, sports and school functions will take over.  Our nights will be filled, and we will just have to make the best out of the few meals that we will have together.

The special kitchen table memories are not only of family gatherings.  When we get together with some of our best friends, our day usually winds down with a meal around the table.  We get to laugh, talk, and share something wonderful together.  Usually that wonderful thing is something that was grilled (or smoked) by the guys, while us girls were making side dishes inside. (While the guys can live on meat alone, we try to add a little more variety to the meal.)  I believe true friendships are made while sharing a meal together around the kitchen table.

I find myself lingering at the table lately.  Ok, my lingering may be a result of trying to shove one more piece of meat down my son's throat before he gets up for the 119th time.  But after he is done and has been officially excused from the table, I find myself still sitting there...trying to savor that togetherness that we just had.  Trying to soak up every last drop of it.

What about you?  Do you hold special kitchen/dining table memories?