Family and friend dinners build relationships.  Sharing a meal together regularly is an important way to connect with others.  Whenever I went home for a visit, my mom and I would share all of our meals.  Here she is sitting in her kitchen with her apple, tomato soup, and toasted cheese sandwich.

Since my mom passed away, I have stayed with my sister when home for visits.  I also love to cook with her in her kitchen and share meals with her on my mom’s dining table.  What a special feeling!  This last visit we made the classic, tasty salad with apples, celery, grapes, and glazed sliced almonds.

Thanksgiving is the time of year when many sit down and share a meal together.  Does it matter if that shared meal is not on Thanksgiving Day? Does it matter who you are with or what you eat?  No!

I remember participating in a teacher’s classroom Thanksgiving celebration in which each student was encouraged to prepare and bring a traditional family recipe to share.  One of the girls was embarrassed with the Korean beef she had prepared because she felt it did not fit with the traditional Thanksgiving menu.  Well, her dish was the very tasty favorite and quickly gobbled up by the other students and teachers in class.  She was so pleased and relieved and left class that day with her empty dish and a huge smile.

Research shows that children who sit down and eat with their family do better in school.