Before we ate, we paused to notice one feeling we each brought to the table. One said calm, another peaceful, a third lucky. . . . As I heard each person speak, I felt more comfortably connected.
Then I asked everyone to name a gift that has come to them through their family line. This time we named energy, hard work, curiosity, perseverance, enjoyment of eating, home organization. We were expanded by taking the time to name parts of our inner worlds for one another.
Yesterday morning, as my husband and I reflected on our days hosting our children and their significant others we remembered our sharing around the table and in that act of remembrance, my husband and I felt calm, peaceful, and lucky all over again.