Family dinner is one thing I don’t think was ever really canon in my family. A time when everyone would be at home and have a meal at the same time while talking about how our day went, nah… it’s not something I’ve had a lot of experience with. Usually, if we’re all eating at the same time, it’s because the food was only just prepared and everyone wants to eat while it’s hot. Other than that, you simply eat your food when and where you can.
Personally, back when I was home, I used to eat my food wherever I fancied. I could eat in my room, on my bed. I could eat at my desk where I worked. Or I could eat in the living room, either on the couch or at the dining table. As I said, many times it’s where you are when the food is ready that the food will be eaten.
But then, I’m only talking about my later years. When I was a kid, we used to eat together, especially during dinner. Back then, everyone was around and my Mom’s school wasn’t so far away, so she always came home on time. However, the older we all grew, and the further she got transferred at work, things began to shake up a bit.
One after the other, my siblings began to leave home. First because of school and then to find their own feet. Soon, we were living so far away from my Mom’s school that expecting her to cook when she returned home was simply torture and crazy. So, we cooked ourselves. But then, expecting us to cook and then wait for Mom to return before we could eat was also crazy. So, we ate our portion and also dished out hers as well. We dished everyone’s portion so that when they come back, they simply took it and ate.
As I grew older and started to work, I started eating more frequently in my room. It was also when I developed the habit of reading/watching movies while eating. Due to work, I might not have the time to do all that, but when I’m eating, rather than looking at nothing else, I can just see a movie or something like that. And that habit has grown on me.
So, for those of us who didn’t really get regular dinner times, does that change anything about our upbringing? No… it doesn’t. I’m still close to all my siblings and we still built bonds over the years. Through shared struggles and pain, through shared glories and enjoyments, we’ve grown together stronger.
I think for us, while we didn’t have family dinners and the like, it was replaced with the nightly news. That was something we were not allowed to miss back in the day. Whether we liked it or not, we were mandated to report to the front of the TV each evening to watch the news. It was always a great time because it was when my parents also got to know about how our day went and what other fees they’d be required to pay all while complaining about the terrible job our government was doing.
It’s all good though. I believe that what really matters is the bond that makes us a family. Not having dinners and all, but at the end of the day, having siblings you know that whenever you call on them, you can trust them to deliver. No matter what. That’s what’s most important.
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