Sunday Dinner

Many years ago, I felt my family was pulled in so many directions. I was a single mother of four beautiful, lively, and precious children while also attending school to become a Registered Nurse. Our schedule was grueling and so packed. There was so little time for anything extra, really. Our weeks consisted of the Monday morning ritual of getting kids up, dressed, and fed, and off to school. Then, I got myself ready and went off to classes too. In the afternoons, I would get home just in time for them to be getting off the bus, and then it was dinner, homework, baths, and bed. When I got all of them settled, I pulled out my books and studied, working on my own homework. It was a lot and looking back, it's hard to imagine the energy level I must have conjured up to get it all done.

Somewhere, in the middle of all of that, I felt we were losing connections and running on a hamster wheel. My heart ached to see how fast my children were growing and how, one day, I would no longer have them under the same roof as me. My parents also seemed sad that we were all so busy. My dad had some health problems, and there was this ever-present knowledge that everything in my life was temporary. I felt tradition and creating roots for my family, along with shared memories, were important aspects we might miss if we didn't make the time for these things.

I introduce to you the "Sunday Dinner." Oh, it is not an original of mine, yet I claimed it with passion as if it were. I made it my new rule that all of the other things in life would pause and rest and on this day, I would focus on the company and fellowship of the people I cherished most. I love to cook. I would prepare some family-favorite recipes each Sunday, and we would all come together to eat and share our thoughts and events of the week. My dad is now gone, but I am so thankful we took the time and have those shared memories. Now, I enjoy the same recipes while staring in adoration at the food-stained faces of my own grandchildren.

Life can get carried away in chaos for us if we don't choose to control our schedules. One thing I have learned is to keep the important things at the front end. I never regret the commitment I have made to these meals. They ground us. They give us a sense of belonging and connection, and they matter to each heart that walks through the door. I encourage you to create a few of your own traditions to settle and ground your family. I truly believe that is the warmth and love our society has lost over the years, and a worthy goal to return to. Light a candle, put something filling in the crockpot, make a pitcher of tea, and hug each and every person who blesses the threshold of your home.

Love,

Gigi