I was watching "Sunday Morning" today and they had a segment about families sharing meals together. There seems to be less and less of that today with family members being so busy with work and school, activities and friends. Today, children and teenagers eat in front of the television, computer or while talking on the telephone. They grab food and run out the door or use the drive-through at fast food restaurants.
I grew up in the 50's and 60's and we all sat down every night for dinner as a family as did most of my friends. My friend Marilyn's father would stand out in the yard and whistle loudly letting Marilyn and her brother know that dinner was ready and it was time to come home. We had phones, but for some reason this was just his way.
From what I heard on "Sunday Morning," sharing meals as a family has a positive impact on children. Research has found that having meals together makes children 50% less likely to smoke, use drugs or get into trouble.
It seems that this time together gives children something they need and want. Maybe it's fellowship and a sense of community and belonging. Maybe it's because when the family sits down together and eats, there is time to talk and ask questions about what is going on in each other's lives. This may be the only time when everyone sits down in one room together.
One of the things that I most loved about holidays as a child was the big family dinner. It wasn't just the food--which was always mouth-watering and abundant. It was the fellowship, the feeling of belonging, and the love that I felt with my whole family tucked around me like a warm blanket. I was fed as much by their attention as by the food that I ate.
During the holiday dinners, let's be aware of the memories that we are making together with our families and friends. Delight in the tastes and aromas, the conversation, love and laughter. And then, after the holidays, if you are married and have children (or even if you don't), why not try having meals together as a family? You'll give your children as much emotional nourishment through this ritual as you will nutritional nourishment.
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