The Dining Room Table Revisited

Thanksgiving. Christmas. Hanukkah. Easter. Birthdays. Dinner parties.

Chances are, you have fond memories about meals shared around the dining room table on these special occasions…memories filled with laughter, purpose and the meaning of the season… the reasons for celebrations that have brought family and friends together.

You may remember the winery slogan that boldly promised, "We serve no wine before its time." The concept of patiently waiting for the right time has become lost on our fast-pedaling, race-the-clock society. From freezer to microwave, we rush to prepare a meal in minutes, using time as a barometer of efficiency and success. To survive today’s to-do list, far too many meals are consumed from paper bags and take-out containers. And out-of-whack priorities find families eating in the car and on the go, or silently in front of the television, even perhaps coming and going as work and after-school schedules mandate. These meals are taking place "before their time," served in haste rather than meaningful purpose.

One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself — and others — is to return to the dining room table. There, relationships are nurtured and blessed not only by a nutritious meal, but also conversation, laughter and time. Meals shared around the table bring with them the sweetest of icings on the cake, yielding meals with a meaning beyond the food itself. Your hunger for deeper relationships will be fed by interaction with love ones, as well as the thought and care spent on food preparation. And in doing so, you will create Empty Bottle Moments — special times that improve and enhance relationships.
It’s exciting to hear from so many of you about the impact Empty Bottle Moments are having on your lives. Among them:

• Maria’s childhood memories of supper at the dining table with a family of ten led her to add candle tapers to mealtimes with her grandsons. In doing so, she transforms ordinary meals into special candlelight dinners that instill in her grandchildren the importance and simplicity of turning something simple and ordinary into something extraordinary. Maria is also confident that she is paying it forward, as her grandson’s wives and families will one day benefit from the belief that everyday occurrences can bring special meaning.
• Gabrielle’s family is plating their dinner on china and enjoying meals in the formal dining room. Her children have become so energized by the focus on family time that they are lending helping hands in the kitchen and using scooping melon balls for the family’s fruit serving.
• Elizabeth has put her two children in charge of table preparations, whereby they determine lighting, set the table, select topics of conversation and, on occasion, make place cards or pick flowers for the table — the lagniappe of special care that reflect an extra measure taken to create Empty Bottle Moments.
• Scott has turned clean-up duties, an otherwise unpopular conclusion to mealtime, into an opportunity to pitch in while also engaging his wife in uninterrupted one-on-one conversations that they both anxiously anticipate each evening.

Your return to the dining room table costs nothing, although it yields rich rewards and life-long memories. Give it a try tonight. You will be pleasantly surprised and your family abundantly blessed. And remember, it’s the process, not perfection, that matters.

To learn more about creating memories around the dining room table and at mealtime, or if you would like to share your suggestions and celebrations, please visit my web site at www.cookingwithclive.com.