What is the dining table? It’s a piece of furniture, everyone has one.  It’s a flat surface surrounded by chairs but It’s so much more.   The dining table isn’t a static object  – it’s where we gather, where we bond, where we connect. So much of our lives are wrapped around that table. If we’re not careful that table will go away.  

What holds you back from gathering with those you love? Is it fear, confidence or life is just too busy? …or we talk about getting together but never seem to get to it.

This is where I see the dining table is nearing extinction. We design homes and the dining room is getting less and less space. We eat on the run, at the kitchen island, standing at the sink. We have busy lives and because of that the gathering around the table falls by the wayside.

Can you imagine going to the museum to experience the past? Along with the dinosaurs you’ll see the flip phone, the dot matrix printer, the old clunky computer, the rotary phone, etc. I can picture going to the Smithsonian where Julia Child’s kitchen is on display and a child pointing to the table and chairs in the middle, asking her Mother what that is. I know it sounds extreme but that’s where we’re headed.

This goes beyond social – Mindfully bringing people together is an ancient art but it’s becoming a lost art. This is what I had to go past my childhood dining table to find – how to create this recipe for memories and that is what I want to leave you with today. Eating together relaxes us, we talk, we look at each other and we listen. It doesn’t matter if you order a pizza, grab takeout prepare the meal, or go to a restaurant, sitting at the table with others is where we connect.

Have you ever had a gathering without food? I don’t think so. We even have coffee, cookies, donuts at business meetings. Food is the unifier, it evokes memories, it brings us together around the table. Let’s not let that slip away.


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