I personally consider eating as a blessing, not merely referring to the need to feed my body. Sitting at the table, dining is for me a ritual. A ritual that is filled with appreciation for the food on the table. For the grace on my plate.
I give importance to this moment, every day, every time. This is maybe the reason why I like setting up our table even if it’s not yet time to eat. It gives me a feeling of abundance. I feel blessed. The table is always ready. There’s always food on the table. This is also the reason why I didn’t train myself to read magazines, books, or newspapers while I am eating. When it’s time for me to eat, I eat, not read, not watch. When I want to read the newspaper, I will sit down and read, not when I am already eating with plates in front of me.
This is also the reason why I didn’t train my kids to bring food to their rooms to eat there. I don’t like the idea that they are watching television while eating. While they are toddlers yes, the yaya follows them around to feed them while they play. But not anymore when they are old enough to sit at the table and eat by themselves.
Even when there is a tv show we want to watch. We don’t watch and eat at the same time. It’s either we will stop watching and would all go down to the dining area, or eat first before watching the tv show, or eat after. It’s either OR and not AND.
And with the invention of the cellphone, I hope it doesn’t become my habit to stare at my phone while I am facing God’s grace. I have to be aware otherwise my life would be eaten up by this new way of life —communicating with the world every second of my life. And it’s not good, psychologically at least. I would be restless while eating if in between I have nothing to look at, communicate with, watch for. I would be bored sitting at the table. People around me would become so boring because my phone offers more exciting things.
I don’t want to be that person. I don’t want to be eaten up by this whole new world of lifestyle when people are always looking at what’s going on around them, staring at friends and strangers’ photos on their phone, reading about other people’s lives.
But this is just me. This is my personal guideline. I want to enjoy my food, I want to enjoy a good conversation with the person or persons dining with me, while at the same time appreciating the blessings on my plate.
