“There is no secret to balance. You just have to feel the waves.” — Frank Herbert, American author
After almost three months, I return to Bringing Dinner Back. One year of daily family meals, writing about countries in Africa, and enjoying African feasts with friends and soon-to-be friends, this three-month break has given me time to re-envision this space.
I started this blog as a way to honor the way I believe the dinner table brings us all together. I continue it as a way to honor the passions and destinies each member of my family must follow. It is this balance — seeing each of us as individuals yet creating the time and space for us all to come together as a family — that I will chronicle here.
Sawyer needs a dog because he’s afraid to sleep alone and time to toss around a ball (any ball, he’s not picky) with his buddies. Noah needs to rock climb 10 to 15 hours a week at a gym 30 minutes away and time to sit with nothing but the rap music from his iPod occupying his brain. I need to an hour every couple of days to do yoga and to connect with Africa. Clyde needs to see a movie every now and then with his buddy and carve out some time to venture into the gym he just joined.
Sometimes these needs mean we don’t have dinner together. More often than not — if the balancing pins and stars align — they mean we just have to try a little harder.
So keep posted for details of the balancing act. I have doubts every day about whether we can pull it off … but it doesn’t keep me from tossing it all up in the air with love, hope, and a little prayer every now and then.
Welcome back, Dawn! This will be fun to follow, but aren’t you missing another family goal of having relaxing dinners with family friends?
Here’s the deal…anything you deem worthy to write about will be interesting and entertaining for me. I’m just glad to see you writing here again!