This post was originally published on January 1, 2021.
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When I was young, we used to set the table every evening for dinner. Over time, dinner became the occasion to sit in front of the nightly news and eat from our laps.
The regular rhythm of preparing the table for gathering became a ritual reserved mostly for special occasions.
For some reason, especially in the cold winter months when we desire to cozy up inside, setting the table creates an atmosphere of shared intimacy. It opens the space for conversation and reflection of the day’s happenings and events.
Perhaps setting the table for dinner is an integral part of your nightly dinner routine. Perhaps it’s as much a part as cooking a meal for your family and then cleaning it all up once everyone’s had their fill.
For something so simple, and, you could argue, mundane, it can so easily be taken for granted.
Except, how often do we find the beauty of life in the simplicity of everyday moments?
Sharing a meal together around the table is about as simple and everyday as they come.
When you’re living the single life and meals tend to consist of something quick and spent eating in front of more than one Friends episode, though, the thought of setting the table tends to be a nice thought. The ritual is comfy pants, couch, and easy but tasty.
Which is why it becomes a special occasion when a friend or two come over for dinner. It can become the time when I get to pull out favorite table linens and use the big dinner plates. Setting the table in anticipation of sharing dear moments with loved ones, friends or family, reminds me that the time together is meant to be enjoyed and taken slowly so we can savor the experience in its entirety.
A lot of life tends to happen around the table. This year, as things start to open up again and people aren’t timid to be together in enclosed spaces, I hope to practice the art of gathering around the table more. I hope to invite the mess of life as well as the harmonious. I’m sure the table will sometimes be adorned with pretty tablecloths with coordinating cloth napkins. I’m sure more often it’ll just be piecemeal and thrown together. Sometimes the meal will be for a special occasion or prepared with the intention of creating a special occasion. Other times, it’ll be an ordinary night after an ordinary day during an ordinary week.
But every time, it’ll be the occasion to connect and build. Ultimately, that’s my hope for this new year.
