Dinners

I remember our dining rooms well, and when I think of them, I see six chairs sitting around a table, and most often those chairs were filled. In Henning, there were windows on both sides, and in winter we would put Styrofoam in the windows to insulate them. In Alcester we looked out onto the back yard, and eventually added a small TV to the room. But every night, or almost every night, we had the chance to sit around the table together, say our prayer together, and eat together. Whether we were getting along well or not, we had a chance to sit around the same table and recognize who our family was, and know that whatever we did that day, we would be taken care of. I’m sure there were things I didn’t like, but what I remember were tables full of good food: fresh vegetables from the garden, green bean casseroles, spaghetti, sloppy joes, homemade pizza, saucy franks, chicken patties, chili, and so many others. I know I had little understanding for the time, planning, and money that it took to fill that table night after night. We skipped in from the living room just in time to sit down, or maybe to set the table with plates and silverware. How many nights, how many dinners?