By Mary Hasselwander
This is my favorite season. The weather is crisp with hints of snow and fragrant wood from the cozy fires warming many homes. Family and friends make an extra effort to come together to visit, share good times and, of course, good food.
Coming from a large Italian family, preparing the many holiday meals was an important undertaking. The kitchen became a gathering place while succulent foods cooked. The dining room table was where it all came together.
I always wanted a large round table when I had my family. To me there is just something about everyone in a large circle, eating, laughing and sharing memories of a lifetime. Of course, you can do this seated at any table, but I just had this fantasy.
As luck would have it, my family wound up with a large rectangular table. It served us well for 40 years. Visiting East Coast families, friends, children, grandchildren and their friends gathered around it through the years. Good times and sad, comings and goings, life-changing announcements such as engagements and new arrivals, all were spoken around the dining room table. I am glad this table didn’t have the ability to twitter or blog some of the events that took place here!
This past summer, I finally found a round table, right here in our mountain valley area at a merchant’s just a few blocks from my house! It happened totally by accident. My friends and I had just had lunch at this café and, as we were leaving, I commented that the large table we had been sitting at was the kind of table I had always wanted. The proprietor said the table and chairs were, in fact, for sale.
For about two weeks, I mulled it over, picturing my extended family around the table talking, laughing and sharing. I decided to go for it.
Let’s face it, the holiday gatherings we are planning for this season are more than just a setting or the shape of a table. They are about coming together at a very special time of the year with those who hold a special place in our lives, and sharing the joys of this special time.
So, regardless of the size and type of your table and whether there are two or twenty people there, enjoy all the blessings of the holiday season.
