Day Twenty Four - Jan 24, 2019

There is a beautiful Jewish parenting book I read so many times over the years that I think the book has finally fallen apart… “The Blessing of a Skinned Knee” by Wendy Mogel, Ph.D. My favorite chapter is The Blessing of Food: Bringing Moderation, Celebration and Sanctification to your Table.

Mogel speaks to the powerful role of the table in our home being something like that of an altar… Where we come together and celebrate our day - the joys, the frustrations, the hopes and dreams. 

When my kids were little - this whole altar idea was completely elusive to me. I was simply happy if we all sat at the table and nothing spilled! 

I had to chuckle midday today when I thought about the altarpiece and how I’m not sure if we get too carried away at our "meeting-together-spot.” 

Today the same table hosted: Breakfast for two, eighth, ninth & tenth grade English classes, followed by Biology - complete with flying parts of the earthworm dissected under the microscope. A brief pause to be followed by French, some people eating dinner and is finally cleared off - only to begin again tomorrow with Art, Algebra I & II and some additional meals. 

It’s a simple space… always in motion. The center of our home. It’s where we feed not just our bodies, but our souls. It’s where we train our minds and learn the discipline of holding our tongue! It’s the heart of our home. 

Today I am thankful for the simple spaces in our lives that help mold and make our lives full and complete!