09/17/09

These first two pictures are of an antique chandelier that was at my friend's house. It was most unusual as it was on a "stand" and not one that hung from the ceiling. I love sparkly things and it sparkled in the light so I was drawn to it. Of course, sparkly things do not always photograph well unless you have the right equipment, but these were my "best" shots. I thought they were neat, anyway.


As I was talking to a friend the other evening on how busy our lives were, I was reminded of how much less busy mine was than hers.... and was thankful.

She has three children and they are all involved in many different things, plus school... plus church. I have shared with her before that I just couldn't live my life but "so" busy.... I am not a person that is cut out to be "on the go" all of the time. She knows how I feel and I don't make a big deal out of it with her, but on the way home that evening I thought on that a lot.

I am seeing more and more the older the kids get that, while outside things are good and bring out qualities in them that help with responsibility and maturity, I also do not want to be SO busy that we have no time for this:

Sitting at our kitchen table eating supper together as a family.

Now, I know that many of the meals there are not hours long and full of conversation. A lot of nights they are hurried and "How was your day" was about all that we were able to say. The meals may not have been the fanciest... sometimes just a peanut butter/jelly sandwich. BUT... the fact that we were at home TOGETHER, and not running around like chickens with our heads cut off to get to something else, make it precious to me.

Our society today tends to demand our children be involved in SO much. I wonder sometimes if that is why families are falling apart or kids are so stressed out in school.

I want Wesley and Mikayla to be well-rounded individuals... and you KNOW I expect a lot out of them.

I do not, however, want them to be so "well-rounded" that we are never home, stressed beyond words and do not enjoy just sitting around the table as a family.... eating, laughing, loving, caring.

When I was growing up, those were the times I remember so much. We had many fun times laughing and carrying on around the table.

• It was when we would get to see Daddy most of the time because he was so busy with the farming.
• It was where we cut open those watermelons spread out on newspaper and ate to our hearts content.
• It was where I remember the candlesticks being placed when the lights went out because it was the center of the house.
• It was where we helped Mom prepare the Thanksgiving meal every year because there wasn't enough counter space.
• It was where we had loads of fresh veggies from the garden that were being put up for the winter.
• .... and so many more....
• (Even today it is where we spend many a meal trying some new thing for which Kevin has found a recipe or for the latest "news" of our weeks.)

I want my children to have fond memories of us around our table. I know our world is different than when I was growing up, but I don't want it to be SO fast-paced and hurried that we don't have the opportunity to spend that time as a family.

Those "events" and extra-curricular activity will fade away one day... I don't want my family to fade away with it.

Precious are the times we have around the kitchen table. I don't take them for granted.