Family Dinners Create Family Connections

 "This is the power of gathering: It inspires us-delightfully-to be more hopeful, more joyful, and more thoughtful: In a word, more alive." ~Alice Waters

When Matt and Kalie called me and said they wanted to move so their family could eat dinner together, I applauded them for putting their family first. When our children were growing up, we had a sacred tradition of gathering around the kitchen table to eat dinner, connect, and learn about each other's days. Our kitchen table overheard our most daring thoughts, our craziest dreams, and our silliest notions. Never judging or squashing even our most outlandish ideas, our words were free to run wild, creating lively discussions, drawing us closer together, and creating a family culture and a common memory. By sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings, we become vulnerable. We let each other into our world, and they allowed us into theirs. That is how relationships are made and how they continue to grow and strengthen. There are three ingredients for a warm, positive family dinner: food, fun, and conversation.