A Gathering

Over the past couple of years, I have noticed a term frequently being used, A Gathering. In general, it refers to a meeting of a group of people for a social or festive event. It has a homey feel to the sound of it and I like using it.

Last night I attended a gathering of close friends and family for a wonderful home cooked meal and some causal chit chat. This is the first outing that my family and I have been to since the hurricane. It was wonderful and many of us teared up when our hostess toasted with words of gratitude and love. It was endearing, poignant and so needed. We have all been feeling worn down and overwhelmed, but still thankful that we survived Florence.

It was also great to feel somewhat normal again. I wore nice clothes (instead of hurricane cleanup attire) and drank good wine from nice glasses (instead of paper cups). Awe, just to be back to normal even a little is part of the healing process.

I am not sure how it happened, but entertaining has become very challenging. Often the focus is on hosting the perfect meal, at the perfect table, with the perfect surroundings. As a result, you sometimes just do not want to do it. It’s just too much. We forget that the real purpose is to get together with friends and family and simply enjoy each others’ company over some food and drink. We can still serve on our good china, light some table candles and actually use a cloth table cover. But, just remember the real reason we gather is to break bread together and to enjoy being with loved ones. I hope you enjoy your next gathering as much as I enjoyed the one I went to last night.