Family Meals

"We know, for instance, that there is a direct, inverse relationship between frequency of family meals and social problems. Bluntly stated, members of families who eat together regularly are statistically less likely to stick up liquor stores, blow up meth labs, give birth to crack babies, commit suicide, or make donkey porn. If Little Timmy had just had more meatloaf, he might not have grown up to fill chest freezers with Cub Scout parts."

— Anthony Bourdain (Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook)

Before going to South Korea I would have scoffed at this. However, one of things I missed was the sit down family meal. Something I rarely engaged in but found myself wanting when it wasn't available.

I rarely ate at the table since my teen years. All meals were pretty much eaten in the living room, in front of the TV. Instead of catching up with family on what was going on in life I would catch up on TV. I never really knew what I was missing.

When I came home on vacation I started finding myself eating at the table. I would use the time as an opportunity to catch up on what my family was doing.

Now that I have been home for a year I find I always eat at the table. Even if it is just me there. I use the time to converse as well as eat. It feels good. I look forward to the big family sit down meals. It makes what Anthony said ring true with me.