Sixth Day - Six People for Dinner

On the sixth day of Christmas... six people for dinner.

This week Rebekah's sister, Rachel - along with her husband, Tom, and their second son, Micah - graced Maul Hall with a visit; lots of good conversation, lots of good coffee. And, yesterday evening, a fine Tuscan meal directed by Andrew and produced by pretty much the entire team.

I enjoyed tandem-cooking with Andrew at the range, with everyone else bustling around making salad, setting the table, pouring drinks etc. We took the pasta, bread, wine and sauteed vegetables into the dining room and surrounded the table with good cheer and great conversation.

Six. Six people helping define the evening's entertainment as a good meal in good company. Six people enjoying one another. Six people sharing matters of faith, adventures of travel, family stories, tall tales, more family stories....

We broke out some of the new cookware (Rebekah and I splurged on a sixteen-piece set of matching Emeril Lagasse cookware this weekend). It's the first time in 30 years of marriage we've had matching anything in the kitchen. The other stuff has been literally falling apart and this was a cool way to wrap up the kitchen remodel.

Part of the conversation around the dinner table was about conversation around the dinner table! Both our families had insisted on at least four-five family evening meals together when the children were growing up, and we actually taught them how to engage in meaningful discourse in such a setting. That kind of committed family time was priceless, and - I believe - would do a lot to re-civilize our society if it were re-instituted on a wide scale.

The privilege of sharing long conversation with people you love, around the table, is a gift I will always cherish.

Six people around a common meal; on the sixth day of Christmas; just another way I am truly blessed.

- DEREK