I have to admit that most often my wife, better half is
always correct, especially when it comes to life values and goals. I know that
there is a huge transition as your kids are now all grown up and the likelihood
of the family sharing a meal together is infrequent at best! As the new year is
upon us and too many resolutions are now a thing of the past one of the simple
goals I believe that will make a difference is the intentional choice to eat a
meal together with your spouse, family, friends and community. I know that it’s
too easy today to go out for a dinner but my two cents is make a goal that at
least once a week you prepare a meal at home.
It’s an incredible gift to your family or friends to sit
down at your dinner table and share great food and the amazing interaction of
listening to one another. The sad tragedy of today’s high-tech society is that
too many are not eating at a table but playing video games and snacking. The
real test, which I often fail, is to purposely put down your smart phone and
turn off your iPhone so you can tune into your spouse, family or friends. How
is it possible to carry on a conversation while the T.V. or YouTube is blaring
out noise?
I know that the generation of my parents never gave an
option about eating meals together. It was an assumed part of family culture to
know that you couldn’t miss dinner especially on Sundays. Yet, as we have
evolved into a society that is too mobile its’ so easy to become too busy and
to be honest lazy to plan, shop and cook a great meal at home. I was very fortunate
to have a mom and dad that were both incredible cooks. I learned so much as a
kid growing up because I was never given a choice about cooking but watched and
helped as my dad created awesome dishes.
One of the downsides to a totally high-tech society is that
we have created online friends that are far from being part of our real lives.
I confess that even as a sixty something I’m too geared to seeing responses,
likes or shares of my various posts. What’s most important in the new year is
to cultivate relationships of substance. This isn’t going to happen via
texting, twitter or snapchat but through sitting down at a table and chatting,
listening to another eyeball to eyeball.
What’s incredible today, thanks to the internet, is the
ability to get recipes and instructions on how to put together an amazing meal.
So why not impress your family dad and actually plan, shop and then cook a meal
that will turn everyone’s eyes and delight your taste buds!!