A Table for 5, Please

It’s technically a 4-person table. But, we stretch it and make it a mismatched table for 5, and sometimes even an extra cozy 6.  I like symmetry and am usually a little matchy-matchy.  It doesn’t come naturally to me to put striped patterns with flowers or pair the farmhouse style dining table with random chairs.  Those kinds of things make me step out of my box a little.

Our family had been in someone else’s home together and when we left, my daughter said, “I liked that house, mom.  You know what I liked the best?  They had 5 chairs at their table.”  I paused, looked at her, then considered her statement.  Sure enough.  They had 2 dining rooms and in one, there was a round table with 5 chairs placed around it. 

My heart tugged at her observation.  She is one who typically keeps feelings to herself and doesn’t easily show when something is bothering her.  I realized at that moment that we only had 4 chairs set at our table.  But, we are a family of 5.  I had a chair pushed back to its place against a wall, which we scooted forward to the table at each meal.  This way, my table had 4, even chairs around the table–the way it seemed it should look to me.  

But, not to my daughter.  The chair that alternated its place belonged to her.

 

She had never once complained about her absent chair or having to push it back and forth each time.  However, it must’ve mattered to her as the 5 chairs of the other home’s table stood out primary in her mind.  I don’t really know what thoughts poured through her mind, but I know the ones that poured through mine.  She was asking for a table for 5, please.

That night after I tucked her in to bed, I quickly rearranged things and made my table a table ready for 5.  As you can see, there is one random chair.  And, I like it that way.  Maybe one day we will have a different dining set, but for now, this is our family, our home, our table, and our memories.  As my mom has been saying of her own home lately, “my house doesn’t have to be in a magazine”. 

Is your house a home?  Maybe you should ask your kiddos. 

I’m choosing this day to rejoice in the fact that I have a fully-functioning dining set with precious memories of hundreds who have gathered around it.  We’ve had countless meaningful conversations, crafts, snacks, holiday activities, candlelit meals, birthday parties, Bible studies, games, tea parties, and devotions here.  More often than all of those, we have family meals around this table.  Yes, Sissy.  We have a table for 5.

this is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it  (Psalms 118:24)