100 Things #31) I believe the kitchen table is sacred.
The kitchen table is far more than just wood upon which we eat meals, to me the kitchen table is sacred. It is a place that is an alter of my daily life and relationships that I offer up to God for blessing and thanksgiving.
Kitchen tables seem to be the place where many milestones in my life take place. It was at my grandmothers’ tables that I learned to bake cookies and breads, learned to cook haluski, and talked about a woman’s work never being done. Kitchen tables make up a great amount of my childhood whether it was crafting with friends, playing cards with my aunt and uncle, or doing homework, the one constant is always the kitchen table. As an adult, the kitchen table is the one constant common denominator in many of my relationships and memories. The kitchen table is place I first chatted with Jeff’s children and grandchildren, the kitchen table is where we chat with friends and neighbors, the kitchen table is where we break bread and dream together. The kitchen table seems to be the object around which home is radiated.
The kitchen table is where many prayers of thanksgiving and calls for help have been prayed. The kitchen table has been the centerpiece of many celebrations and sorrows. It is the kitchen table on which the birthday cake rests, and where elbows prop up crying eyes. It’s as if the kitchen table absorbs and reverberates the many vibrations, emotions, and karma of daily life.
September 16, 2008 at 9:08 am
Sadly, the kitchen table is where I always have assorted stacks of “stuff”. Important stuff.
Let’s see, this morning it’s canning jars waiting for the 24 hour good-to-go notice. Kitchenaid Stand Mixer waiting to go downstairs. A snowmobile magazine. The Skyscout (ultra-cool astronomy device that I got through my work, because I’d never drop $400+ on a gadget), my laptop for checking out a recipe and two stacks of pictures that I need to do something with.
So not a lot of “hanging around” going on at my kitchen table. And I miss it. Your imagery is beautiful.
September 16, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Great post – well said.
September 16, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Your statements are supported by research. Quoting, “The importance of the family meal has been shown mainly in studies from the University of Minnesota, Harvard and Rutgers that have looked at family eating habits of nearly 40,000 middle-school students and teenagers. The research has shown that those who regularly have meals with their parents eat more fruits, vegetables and calcium-rich foods, ingest more vitamins and nutrients, and consume less junk food. Some of the research has shown that kids who regularly sit down to a family meal are at lower risk for behaviors like smoking and drug and alcohol use.
But as is the case with all studies that observe people over time, the big question is whether the family meal really leads to healthier habits. Could it be that kids from happier, more health-conscious families are simply more likely to sit down to a family meal?
University of Minnesota researchers have sought to answer that question by looking at “family connectedness,” which essentially measures the psychological health of a family. Children from highly connected families have been shown to eat healthier foods, get better grades and have lower risk for smoking and drug and alcohol use. But in the Minnesota research, whether the family was connected or troubled was less important than whether they regularly dined together. One study, published in The Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine in 2004, found that even after controlling for family connectedness, kids who had seven or more family meals a week were far less likely to smoke, drink alcohol or use marijuana than those who had just one or none.
Your comments were well said and affirming to our beliefs in raising our children.
September 16, 2008 at 8:21 pm
My kitchen table is one of my favorite pieces of furniture. And I have fond memories of gatherings around my grandparents’ kitchen tables. At the head of the kitchen table was where my maternal grandma always sat. I can’t recall her sitting on or at any other piece of furniture. Lovely post.
September 17, 2008 at 10:37 am
LOve this post about the kitchen table , everyone always gathers around the kitchen table at my house too.
Instead of ” If these walls could talk , it should be ” If this table could talk ” oh , the stories it could tell.
The kitchen table holds alot of memories and I believe it’s Sacred too. I would love to share this post on my blog , if you don’t mind.
~ Blessings ~
JoyceAnn
September 17, 2008 at 11:21 am
Meadowlark – I have a counter top that serves as that “drop off” place and I hate it too, but I honestly don’t know how to keep it under control beyond just keep moving the stuff…
MOH – Thank you
Kelli – I’m so pleased to hear about that research, thanks for sharing.
Monica – I think the tables of grandmothers are infused with something extra special…
JoyceAnn – I’d be honored if you shared it on your blog.
September 22, 2008 at 10:02 am
Oh, I love this. I read Joyce Ann’s
and it brought back memories and your
post brought up some other memories
of playing cards and games with my brothers
and family get togethers and even playing cards at the neighbor ladies home who use to curl my hair for school pictures.
September 24, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I agree!!!