My Grandmother's Dishes

It is another Monday morning. The October sun is shining brightly. Some leaves still cling to the trees and the hills are still a range of color. Soon the starkness of November will be upon us. I look forward to the next season. After the first cover of snow I will feel like preparing for Christmas and am excited to see my boys and their loves in their new homes this Christmas. Some traditions are entrenched and some are adapted and new traditions will evolve. In our home we have Sunday night suppers. I love them. I love preparing for a meal that brings us together for a couple of hours. Sometimes I broaden the invitation and sometimes it is just us; Burton , me , Chapin , Brianne, Caleb and Ashlie. I wish of course Meg , Cody and the girls could join us and of course I wish Zac was still with us. But every Sunday we come together and eat, laugh ,catch up and play a game. Wizard seems to be our game of choice at this time. We had lots of laughs last night and I hope they serve to fortify us for the week ahead. Challenges of work and school, worries and concerns, decisions and daily duties. It occurred to me this morning as I emptied the dishwasher that last night's supper was my mother's recipe served on my grandmother's dishes. Burton and I are soon to be the elderly. Right now we sit in the middle. We offer support, some advice (although we seem to be advised quite a bit). We welcome them to a home that nurtured them and continues to give them comfort with wood heat and good food. We send them out to face the new week with love and encouragement. They bring us the gift of laughter, of memory and of the future. We see ourselves as we were at that age. Burton's mother made the best chicken in the world and we gathered together to enjoy her Sunday dinners. The years pass as quickly as the seasons. We know how quickly the years go by and changes come . So every Sunday I set the table with my grandmother's dishes and offer a meal that strengthens and connects us. Together we enjoy the present, celebrate the past and look toward our future. And as a bonus sometimes Burton does not win. Last night Brianne soundly beat us all.