Family Day

A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children, ™ a national effort to promote family dinners as an effective way to reduce substance abuse among children and teens. Family Day is celebrated September 25th, 2006.

Tammi, had told me about Family Day a couple of weeks ago. Note here, Tammi is single, and has no children, but she wanted me to know how important this day was to her.

I need to add here, that I do believe meal time is a great time for all in the family to look at one another, catch up, talk, and eat. My kitchen table is the heart of my home. My kitchen is vital to my family. We not only eat at the kitchen table, I write out bills there. "The Collective" and I color at the table, we craft, talk, make play doh cookies, play Chutes and Ladders, write letters to Grandparents, we even ask blessings over the table. There have been many decisions made around a kitchen table all across the World.

I grew up in a family that ate dinner ALMOST every night as a family, unless of course, there were church, or school activities that did not allow it. I grew up knowing this was an important time for families to reconnect. We felt free to ask questions about politics, religion, and our future.

I grew up in a civilian household, third generation of German farm immigrants who like to cook. I come from a long line of women who love the kitchen.

So, with a spouse in the military, I had some adjustments to make. When I married at 20,one of the first things I had to learn was military time. My Dear Husband would call a little after lunch, and tell me what time I could expect him home. So I quickly had to learn what time 1800 was. There was also learning how to eat alone, and enjoy it on all of those nights he would be away at PLDC, or other training. Not easy to do at all.

However, a dinner table with no Father or Mother present is pretty common around those who serve our country now, and I think it is important for those of us who remain waiting, to continue to take care of ourselves. My Husband has been deployed 3 separate occassions now, all adding to at least 33 months. I do know how hard it can be to enjoy Sunday dinners, Holiday dinners. Heck who am I kidding, daily dinners can be hard to survive for that matter. I think the kitchen table is a good way to start. I do not think it matters if it treating yourslef to take out, or preparing a meal from scratch...eating together creates opportunity. An Opportunity to reconnect.

Some of my fondest memories have occurred around a kitchen table. So I hope you participate in Family Day 2006. It is a good reminder to all of us, to take care of oursleves.

Cross-Posted at SpouseBuzz