Family on Friday!!!
Last week, I shared my personal experiences of having an overly busy life and still holding a space for table time. Before that, I wrote about how people get so lost and caught up in the busy life (with good intentions) that they can't quite seem to fit in time to eat, let alone be a family. But, I decided to write this whole "Advocacy" saga to adequately respond to Gussie's comments on the original post about table time without gadgetry. (Go, go, gadget salt-shaker.)
We no longer have the busy life we used to. Wifey works Tuesday through Saturday, I work Saturday through Monday and every night, we have a nearly four month old baby girl, I'm writing a novel (and this blog), and you can get a better idea of our present laid-back lifestyle from my first post.
Three to four times a week, we pack up the bug and all go have dinner at grandma's. Grandma also works. We take turns cooking, all cook something together (the bug just supervises), or none of us cook and we splurge on any of the fine take-out available in the area. We average about two hours at the table every time we meet. That includes games with cookie prizes.
When we can't be at grandma's, wifey and I will have a quiet meal at home with the bug strapped down to a chair at the end of the table. (start 'em early) I know at some point having the bug strapped to a chair during meals will be considered abuse, but for now it's responsible.
We relish this time together. The therapeutic benefits of deepening our tribal connections fuel us with the emotional and mental buffers we need to prevent being overtaken by the tide the rest of the world creates circling the drain. Even if they're not related by blood or marriage, the people you hold on to and trust to hold you up at the worst of times are your family. And this is a great time to sit at the same table.
Of course there are many right and many wrong ways to share table time. But, let's save that for next week...
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