While it was not a goal of my current portion of my Happiness Project, it is a lovely side consequence. Though we bought a simple table and chairs to replace my beloved mission table (now living with a friend), we hadn’t eaten at the table much since we moved to Decatur.
I didn’t have the energy. If I managed to cook dinner (or convince one of the girls to do so), I tended to be too tired to get us to sit at the table. Everyone would collapse on the couch with their meal. I knew it wasn’t ideal, but I was barely getting by. It wasn’t a fight I could fight.
But for the past month or two, I’ve found the time (the time!) to plan, prepare and cook. We’ve had better meals, fewer take-out/restaurant meals, and more meals at the table than we’ve ever had since moving.
Not only that, but we’re trying new things. We’ve joined a better-than-CSA program and are eating healthier by the day.
We eat at the table. We talk. We work on crossword puzzles together. It’s so much more than I had hoped it could be. And I have my fingers crossed that I will keep having the energy to continue with our newfound practice.
I remember being shocked when your sister told us that when asked at school what was unusual about her family she replied that we ate dinner together. Glad to see you resurrecting the tradition!