Around the kitchen table
In my parents’ house, as in most houses, the kitchen was where everyone gathered, or more specifically, the kitchen table. All of our major family decisions and discussions have taken place at the table. All of our family dinners still unfold here, whether we’re serving 3 or 50. (No, the kitchen isn’t that big.) This has always been our family’s favorite gathering spot. I remember sarcastic banter being traded between siblings and family memories and stories being told and retold. When I was growing up we had a large picnic table as our dinner table. It was the only thing big enough at the time to hold all of our family members. In the 80s, my parents upgraded their kitchen and my father designed the entire new layout. It came complete with an island of his own design that featured a chair-height counter, which wrapped around three of its sides and provided ample dining space. Now that all of the children have flown the nest, my parents have removed the dining counter from the island and pushed it against one wall to be used as added cabinet space. My parents now eat dinner at a round pedestal table that seats four. Of course this relatively tiny table has done nothing to diminish the fact that this is still the center of life in the house. Now, grandchildren play there, helping Grammy and Pop-Pop make Christmas cookies, or the little ones use it as a racetrack for their Matchbox cars. So, even though it has changed quite a bit over the years, there is still plenty of life there, and it is still my favorite place in the house. Is your kitchen the center of life in your house? What fond memories do you have of being around the kitchen table?
