I realized today -- I have simple dreams with simple themes. Home and family are central to most. A comfortable place to live, special traditions, several consecutive nights of uninterrupted sleep... these are the thoughts that set me afire.
Today, I got to realize a long-time dream of mine which was to host a family Sunday Dinner after church. Since college when I interned at a little church in northern Illinois where four generations worshiped together and ate together every. single. Sunday. after church, I have wanted to do so with my family.
We're not up to every Sunday...yet...beware, family... but today we got together after church. I thought it was wonderful. We had pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli with cheese, homemade bread from my sistah, Lil, and old-fashioned three-layer buttermilk chocolate cake for dessert. I got to set the table with a white tablecloth and put out the cloth napkins. We used silver. We even got out the china gravy bowl. And we ate together.
Today, it was only Lil's family and Mom as our guests. Gramps, Grammy, and Freespirit Uncle, in from Arkansas, had their portions to go. Dad was on a boy scout campout all weekend. But it was such a gift to join hands around the table, eat leisurely, have mom wash dishes :), and enjoy the conversation while the kids played, mostly peaceably.
Afterwards, when the families returned home, I sat down and reflected on it all and found myself incredibly moved by the simple act of being able to be together. So many families are not afforded or do not afford themselves such opportunities. So many families do not enjoy being in the presence of each other. So many families are burdened by togetherness. But, we... well, we are blessed. Incredibly, inumerably blessed.
Honestly, I could do this every week. To me, it's a simple dream come true.
4 comments:
Awww! Sounds GREAT! What a blessings to have such a close family! :)
lovely. hope you get to do this a lot. makes me wonder if this could be a part of our sabbaths... even though we have no family nearby.
this is one of my lifelong dreams as well, april! i keep telling my husband taht we need to bunker down and start inviting people over for dinner each sunday. i love big, fun family and friend sunday gatherings. yesterday the boys and i spent the day at a friends' house and it was the perfect way to spend the sabbath, i thought. good friends and family, good food, following a morning worship service. from appetizers to a hot meal, to dessert. i love a good sunday mid afternoon dinner shared with others!
Your sister, Lil, sounds SO cool.
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