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| Library of Congress: The Peacock Family, enjoying the noon meal, 1939 Alabama |
I have been reading about how old time families would gather together, each day, for the noon meal. This was their dinner time. If children were in a local school, they would come home for their lunch break. Dad would be working in town, or in the fields of his farm, and would pause to go home to eat a meal at the kitchen table with his family.
Isn't it nice to imagine a hot lunch of home cooked goodness that Mom makes herself? There may have been bread, milk, meat, and some fresh or canned vegetables from the garden. This was the time to nourish the family with comforting food from home. Dad would say a precious prayer to ask the Lord's blessing on the food.
Dad would have a little coffee while the family visited together and talked about their day. It was a nice, happy rest, from the labor of the morning.
The children would laugh and enjoy the time of fellowship with their brothers and sisters. They would enjoy sitting near Mother and Dad, finding security and happiness in the routine and tradition of the dinner hour.
This was the leisure hour before heading back to work, or school, for the rest of the afternoon. It helped to bond the family.
These days, I think the practice, here in the United States of America, has slipped away. It is no longer convenient to join together for the noon meal. It is not practical in many cases. It is more common for us to have the supper hour together.
We can revive the tradition of the noon meal each evening. Mother can make a hot meal and set a pretty table. This is the place where we learn our manners as we display kindness and courtesy. This is the time to bond together, enjoying a rest as we eat Mother's home cooking.
After the meal, it may be common for the children to wash up all the dishes and help mother clean the kitchen. Then the family might sit together to read, play the piano, sing hymns, or just enjoy some home projects in the living room.
Home is the greatest institution on earth. It ought to be a peaceful place of compassion, patience, and love. Meal times provide a great opportunity to spend time together at the old kitchen table. These will give us many happy memories of home, Mother and Dad, and pleasant childhood days.
Blessings
Mrs. White
From the Archives -
Always Remember this - The House Comes First.
The Beauty of an Ordinary, Simple Life - Standard of Living.
A Blessing in Making an Effort - Peaceful Homemaking.
Find detailed instruction and inspiration in Budgeting on a small income, in Mrs.White's book:
-An Old Fashioned Budget: Humble Financial Management for the Christian Housewife. Paperback, 77 pages.
QUERIDA HERMANA: QUE ALEGRIA SABER DE USTED DESPUES DE TANTA AUSENCIA, ME ALEGRA VOLVER A LEER SUS PUBLICACIONES QUE SIEMPRE SON INSPIRADORAS, QUE HERMOSA FOTO, AQUI NOSOTROS SIEMPRE DISFRUTAMOS LA HORA DEL ALMUERZO COMO LA DE LA CENA, NOS SENTAMOS TODOS JUNTOS, ORAMOS AL SEÑOR POR LA PROVIDENCIA Y DISFRUTAMOS DE LO QUE EL SUPLIO, NO MIRAMOS TV DURANTE LAS COMIDAS, NO DEJO QUE USEN CELULAR TAMPOCO, YA QUE ESO NOS ALEJA DE LA UNION FAMILIAR Y NO HAY COMUNICACION. ESPERO QUE DURANTE SU RETIRO, HAYA DESCANSADO Y SE ENCUENTRE MEJOR. BENDICIONES A LA DISTANCIA.
ReplyDeleteSo happy you are back from your break. At our home, the noon meal is a family time, because the Redneck works nights. He is asleep when my son and I eat breakfast, and he eats dinner at his work. So I make sure that the noon meal is as good as I can make it. We pray, eat, talk, and sometimes I read a chapter from whatever book we are working our way through at the time. Then I clean the kitchen and put his dinner pail together for that night while he goes and lays back down before he has to leave for work.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Back!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes!
Yes to all of this!
I wish we could go back in time, or perhaps bring the practices of those days here.
We share a love of home and family.
Thank you for inspiring. : )
There is nothing better than gathering ones family around a meal table, I do agree. We always did and I am happy that my children continued with their own children.
ReplyDeleteGreetings, I love seeing the photo of the family gathering for a meal together! We long for the days of home, because our heart is there!
ReplyDeleteBut we can always keep our home fires burning and share with our families as often as we can. It all changes when we become empty nesters, but we can still do a portion, as I know you always do this for your grandchildren and your older children with families of their own! You always inspire us!!
May Spring come soon...
Higs, Roxy
I totally agree. I have always made it a priority for our family to have a home-cooked sit down meal every single evening. Even when I'm sick I still try to make it happen...the day feels incomplete if we don't get to share a meal together. I always make sure also that there is a candle on the table, or fresh flowers from the garden in the summer. I can't imagine not doing this - what a dreary life it must be for those families who never come together in this way but instead eat microwaved meals and snack foods in their own rooms.
ReplyDeleteMrs White, I always feel as if I've had a restful mini-vacation when I visit your blog. I'm a firm believer in the whole family sitting down together for a meal every day. At the table, not in front of the television! For us, that meal has always been dinner in the evening.
ReplyDelete