table talk

We lingered for literally hours, around the table, over breakfast. Technically, since I was working, I served the breakfast, but still, we remained in that comfortable space.
(This is a photo of the folks at the bed and breakfast this weekend. They've been meeting at bed and breakfast inns with their spouses for over 20 years!!)There is something luxurious about conversations around a meal when one doesn't have to scurry off here or there. As we exchanged stories and shared laughter, our lives connected deeply. It's quite amazing, really.

I really enjoyed meal times growing up. My sisters and I often recall the times we had our eyes opened during prayer (yes, a perfectly legal option which I still practice) and wound up giggling and receiving the squeeze or glare from Mom and Dad. Even today, the table at my parent's house provokes numerous conversations, arguments, encouragement, teasing, you know the type. The rhythm is relaxed, mostly, except if you're fighting for the last dinner roll in our carb-loving familie. Sometimes it's a space I dread leaving, as if somehow, the departure from the table signals the return to a hectic pace.

This weekend if things go as planned, I'll gather with some friends to enjoy that type of pace around a campfire. I can't wait. There's nothing like staring into and stirring fire's embers to provoke conversation, laughter, and community. It's part of what we were created for. It's a place of invitation. And a place of grace.

Oh...one more thing, happy anniversary to my blog. It's one year old!!!