Sometimes in the rush of life, we can forget that just the simplest things, like eating together, can bring us back together as a family. It’s so easy to get caught up in the evening sports practices, committee meetings, working late, etc., and it’s not unheard of to go literally days without talking with each other rather than at each other.
I was reminded of this today as we were sitting around outside eating burgers off the grill after a hectic week of work and late summertime activities. The Older was talking about birds and swimming, a little of this, a little of that, and then he popped out with “I think the three biggest forces out there are the sun, Mother Nature, and God.” It struck me that I had no idea he was thinking these things, and I had to take a moment to catch my breath. I forget how much goes on in my children’s heads sometimes, and it’s gentle reminders like this that make me want to pull in the reins a bit, say “no” to some things that we do that take up time away from each other, and make sure that we set time aside to talk every day. I’d hate to miss out on another great moment like this was because I was too busy to pay attention to it!
I totally agree. For the past 3 1/2 months we’ve been in a hotel. Eating was a joke. Everyone was in a different place trying to eat and none of us were together. Now that we’re in our new home and eating together at the same table, it feels so good!
Your sons observation is pretty profound.
Becky, how you managed that without losing your sanity is beyond me. I bow to your ability to keep yourself and your family intact
It’s amazing how much better I feel after reconnecting with my family during dinner. Sometimes it’s a PITA due to needing to cook 2 different meals (DS cannot eat what we do), but it’s always worth the extra effort in the end.