Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
There’s this magical time that we all get every day : it’s called dinner. The great thing is, it doesn’t have to be a fancy meal around a fancy table to have the magic. It could be pizza at the white picnic tables at Costco, or a quick meal standing around the island in your kitchen, it might be in the car waiting for the next soccer game, or at a conference table with Trader Joe’s salads. It isn’t so much about the location or even the food being served, it’s about the time spent with people.
I feel pretty lucky that my Mom made dinner for us. I don’t remember always liking the food, the lentil casserole phase was definitely not my favorite Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
But I do remember having that time as a family or with friends and how much that mattered. My Mom showed us how to live in community and I’m so grateful. It’s the act of living in community that fills our lives with meaning.Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Here’s the great thing about dinner : it’s a natural, built into every day of our lives, time where you literally have to stop and eat. Aren’t you glad we were created to need food! This need forces us together, and if you’re intentional, it can be the most powerful time for you and your people to connect. And let’s be real, our communities NEED more connection. Regardless of differing beliefs, when you sit at a table with another person, you look them in the eye and hear them, it changes your perspective. Now you know why they believe what they do, why they chose to act the way they did, the heart behind their motives, the person behind the belief.Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
So here we are at the very beginning of the holiday season when schedules get even busier, there are more events to attend, more shopping to do, more activities to complete: GRAB the magical time together. Look at the people you are eating with and allow that time to be filled with them sharing about whatever happens to be on their mind. It’s amazing where the conversation can lead when we give it space.
Sure it can feel awkward if you haven’t sat with that group of people in a while. Here are some great questions to get the conversation going:
What did you laugh about today?
Did you have any crazy customers at work?
What did you dream about last night?
What’s your favorite thing to eat on Thanksgiving?
What did your family do for Thanksgiving when you were growing up?
There are a few things we absolutely need; water, food and people. We were designed to function best in community, so it’s a triple win when we get to put all of our needs together around a table.
Our family dinners have been in a lot of random places lately, follow along on our instagram feed @ciderpresslane to see what we’re up to – we want to see yours too! Let’s create community together. The media wants you to believe we as a world are divided, that there is no way to bridge the gap between our differences. I say bologna – #dinnerchangeseverything
Guess what, we actually wrote a cookbook about this! It tells the story of how our community gathered around our table and turned it into a tool to fight injustice. Dinner Changes Everything is full of stories, menus, recipes and complete timelines to help you host dinners that really can change everything. You can check out all of the details here.
I can’t wait to see where your dinner magic takes place.
Kelly
To celebrate the release of Dinner Changes Everything , today we’re giving away 2 copies! Just imagine this—-early Christmas presents. Maybe keep one for yourself and give the other away! a Rafflecopter giveaway