Life centered around our dining table when I was a kid. Friends and family gathered on a regular basis. Hard topics and conversations were welcomed by anyone and if we were old enough to ask it, we were old enough to have the answer given.

Extra food was prepared for supper on a regular basis, and we were encouraged to invite our friends to eat a meal at our dining table any night of the week. Games of all sorts took place on weekends as we pulled our chairs to the table for hours on end. There was never a dull moment, and our table was always full.

Upon marrying, we set up our first dining table. Nightly, we played a dice game after supper and enjoyed our new normal. A year later we moved, and the table came with us. Junk soon covered the table and dinner sat in our laps. Tv replaced games and conversation and soon, the table was replaced with a small, two-person bar and a storage unit.

Kids joined our world, and they ate meals at the bar while we held plates in our laps. Tv still blared in the background and our normal was nothing like my heart desired.

  Yesterday we ate a frozen pizza at our dining table in the new house. We don’t have chairs yet, so we pulled up folding ones and the boys sat on the bench. Then today we scavenged more chairs, invited friends over, and ate our first full meal there. It was refreshing. Relaxing. And peaceful.

The dining table is a big deal to me after not having one for many years. I look forward to conversations, games, laughs, and refreshment at that table with family and friends. There’s something special about gathering together with the ones we care about—making memories and heart imprints that will last a lifetime.

It’s more than a dining table. It’s the heart of a home.

What memories do you have around your dining table? Or maybe a family member’s table?

I’d love to hear from you.