Sunday, March 31, 2013

The pleasure of rituals

Set the table!

For many years in my youth, those were my mother's evening instructions. All of us kids had assigned tasks and, looking back, I think I enjoyed the setting of the table more than the clearing of it. Not that I enjoyed either one that much.

Now I am much grown up and enjoy the pleasure of my family's company a great deal more than when I was young and took it for granted. That we can still gather, cook and eat together is a gift worth celebrating.

Thus, setting the table is a pleasure, creating a welcoming place for each diner to set down to. The settings are not perfectly matched, but that's OK. The people are.