It is easy to create a nice looking table when company will be over to see it.
When I know other people - people other than my own family - will get to enjoy a pretty looking table.
And lately I have begun to wonder why.
Why don't I use nicer dishes for every day dinners?
Why don't I make fancy looking drinks - if only water with fruit- for my boys?
Why don't I put fresh flowers from the garden on the table for just us to enjoy?
And you know, I really couldn't come up a good answer.
Dishes are just dishes. If they break then they break. We can always buy more.
I might cry if it's my pretty wedding crystal. But I'll get over it.
Using a pretty pitcher and adding chunks of frozen fruit takes seconds to do.
Cutting flowers and adding them to the table takes less than a minute.
I realized that there was no good reason to not make every dinner an occasion to be a little bit special.
So I have spent an extra couple minutes to light candles, pull out the crystal, put a table cloth on the table and create a simple center piece.
And I like what has happened.
We enjoy our food more.
We enjoy each other more.
We toast each other with our water filled goblets.
We talk and laugh and joke together.
We sit silently just enjoying being together.
It's not that those things didn't happen before in one form or another.
But now we spend longer doing those things.
We can sit for over an hour enjoying each other and our dinner and, I believe, it is in part because I have attempted to create a table that says "Sit and stay awhile. I like you. I enjoy you."
Any tips or ideas you have done to encourage a special dinner experience with your family?
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8 comments:
You are an amazing woman. This blog is so wise and what an encouragement to do the same for my beautiful family everyday. I really appreciate you!
I'm so with you on this! I've learned to be intentional about using the best with my family. Last night, facing a late dinner, I was tempted to get by with the minimum. But, then I remembered what joy it is to just linger around the table and eat and share. And, I didn't care what time it was. This is such a lovely post!
Stumbled across your blog today...
Love this post! Excellent.
There is so much to be said for a beautiful dinner table. And the little touches make such a big difference!
(thanks for the comment - so glad to have found you today!)
Excellent post, as usual!
That is the coolest pitcher ever!!! Where did you get it?
So true. We get into the "routine" and forget to make each day, each meal special. Thanks for the reminder!
A couple of years ago I bought some thick plastic wine glasses to use at dinner. The kids LOVE them. They love drinking their milk out of fancy glasses.
I did this tonight, even though my excuse was that my family was coming over. My honey looked at me slyly and said I was silly, but I think he appreciated the effort. Maybe I'll surprise him again this week and try it again, just for him and Josh.
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