Table Power

Weird title, I know. But bear with me. Tuesday night, something made me grumpy towards my husband. I don't know if he said or did something, or didn't say or didn't do something. I honestly do not have the slightest idea. (Which obviously shows it was not a big deal and he probably did not actually do anything wrong.) But I was aggravated! I mean, not quite fit to be tied, but while I was preparing a simple and light dinner, I was grumbling under my breath and not thrilled with him in the least. With our son having already eaten and me annoyed and it being a not-elaborate or messy meal, I would have been perfectly content to grab the tv trays and plop down in front of the tv on the couch next to him.

But then a weird thing happened. I told Lino dinner was ready. But instead of reading my mind and heading into the den, he grabbed his plate and our son's hand and walked to the table. I followed suit and went to the table with my food and a snack to occupy our son. We strapped him into his chair and, not reading my mood, smiled and reached out his hands for our prayer. I prayed. We began to eat. And we began to chat. There was no earth-shattering conversations or revelations that will lead to world peace. But sitting there, facing my husband, my aggravation melted away. I didn't confront him. He didn't apologize (which he did not owe me.) Nothing changed except the scenery, the view, the setting. We had the television off. We had eye contact. We shared our day's stories. And I found myself content, happy, at peace with him, our son, myself, and the world.

We committed to one another once upon a time that our kids would grow up eating family dinners around the table. We knew it was healthy and important for their well-being. And most of our dates consist of going out to eat. Because it leads to great conversation, catching up, and reconnecting as a couple. But we had really slacked off for a long time at the whole "dinner table" concept. I think we rationalized that it would matter when our kid could, oh, talk! But my mother was right. (She usually is, you know. Really. Not being sarcastic. She's a fantastically brilliant woman.) The table should be a habit built from an early age and memory. And now I see, the table isn't just healthy for our kid. It's healthy for our family. It's for all of the relationships and dynamics within this family. It's healthy for us as individuals.

I'm glad we've gotten much better at this and hope to continue this trend. I love that our son expects the connectivity between us and with God in a meal-time prayer. And quite frankly, I don't even know what we used to watch on television, nor do I miss it. It turns out, the dining table has magical powers of which I was even previously unaware. And I grew up with the family dinners!

Tables are more important than I knew. But I will not forget or take it for granted.