If one of your late ancestors were to come back from the dead and join you for dinner, what things about your family would this person find the most shocking?
Back in the day, there was a saying that children should be seen and not heard. In our family all members are heard particularly around the dinner table. Our guests, particularly our children’s friends, frequently state that they can’t wait to see where the conversation at dinner goes to this time. There are many things that surprise them:
- That we eat together regularly
- The topics of our conversations—anything is possible
- How animated our conversations get and that everyone joins in
- The laughter created is very welcoming
Once they go over the shock of not having a nice quiet meal with the family, I think my ancestors would get involved with some horror stories form their own time to add to the eclectic mix of conversions on the day. It is common for us to continue our crazy conversations all night by staying around the table chatting or while we play cards together to finish the evening. The following acrostic poem describes our conversations well.
Connecting
Original
Non-conforming
Vocal
Entertaining
Real
Spontaneous
Acceptancing
Trusting
Interesting
Open
Natural
Stimulating
Laughter.. a definite PLUS! The eating together… lives just do ont aline?
I think for some people it is a new invention.
Families sharing meals and daily events together at the same table is a pretty strong strong statement for family values.