At the Table I sit down and review my day, sometimes with others sometimes alone.

The dinner table is a place where people can sit and talk, or not. A place of peace or violence. Past or future Loud or silent Light or dark Fun or horror.

Unpredictability.

It all depended on Dad.

- SJ

On the last day of National Poetry month, I thought I’d share a poem written by one of the writers in our group, one of my “guys”.  He started with a disclaimer.  He often does.  He couldn’t think of anything to write, he said.  It wasn’t very good, he said.  He wanted to make sure we all knew, he’s not a writer.

After he read we sat in silence for a few minutes.  Probably like you just did right now.  His words reverberate through my soul.

Often I ask the families I see if they eat together.  Eat together?  Yes, I say.  As a family… without the TV on, do you?  And sadly they say no.  Not really.  Not often.  There’s work and baseball and homework and piano lessons and everyone is going this way and that and it’s really hard to find the time.  We mean to, they say, but we don’t.

And this is what I say to them.  Mealtime is so important.  It is a time to sit together, to share the day.  A chance to laugh, to cry, to come together from disparate lives and become one.  And just for the record?  The research bears it out.  Families that eat together are stronger, healthier, and happier.  It’s true. It is a time I treasure each day, be it 6 or 7 or even 8 o’clock.  Time to slow down, hold hands, thank God and break bread, together.

Do yourself a favor.  Do what you can to make your family stronger, healthier and happier. Take the time to eat together.

Go ahead, pull up a chair.  You'll be glad you did.