Thursday
I have the privlege of having a weekly dinner engagement with some very close friends of mine. It started out about a year ago with just a few people going over for dinner on Thursday evenings. Since then it has evolved, and Thursdays (the italics are necessary, because the Thursday evening dinner/party/gaming session/hang-out/you-get-the-idea has become an entity in and of itself, and must be distinguished from the day Thursday) now consist of anywhere from seven to twenty people, hanging out starting as early as three o’clock in the afternoon, and often going into the wee hours of the morning.
The “what” of dinner changes from week to week. It can be anything from leftover buffet (Everyone’s had one of these, one of the best types of meal. If you don’t recognize the inherent awesomeness of a slice of pizza sitting on a plate next to some mashed potatoes, then there might be something wrong with you) to an elaborately themed, multi-course meal, and any of the possibilities in between.
The most fun is when we all cook together. One Saturday morning (not a Thursday, but still a Thursday ) we all got together and made breakfast. Each of us was in charge of something, and we had a great time dodging around the kitchen to get our portion done, all the while trying to both help each other and stay out of each other’s way. It was wonderful bedlam. Another Thursday was pizza night. Each of us brought some sort of fun, different, creative pizza topping, and we made a bunch of pies. We ended up with several choices, ranging from simple pepperoni, to a whole wheat crust with yellow tomatoes, goat cheese, spinach, and olives.
This all got me thinking about food (not that I really need anything to get me thinking about food) and its social role in our lives. As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, I love food. I love to cook it, I love to eat it, but I especially love to share it with other people. It’s wonderful to make a great meal for yourself, but it’s even more fun when you cook for a group. There are few things in this world more satisfying than sharing a meal with people you love.
Food doesn’t just feed us, it brings us together. It’s a medium through which we socialize. Think back to your last Thanksgiving dinner. I’m sure you remember the food and how delicious it was, but I’m also pretty sure that the highlight of the day was one of Uncle Frank’s wacky anecdotes and not the mashed potatoes.
With so many things to occupy our lives these days, it’s more important than ever to take time to enjoy. Enjoy life, enjoy family, enjoy friends. I’ve found no better way to enjoy than to share a meal with people I love. Enjoy. There will be plenty of time tomorrow to clean the house, or change the oil, or go grocery shopping or (you get the idea…)
So relax. Have another piece of bread. Enjoy the company of the ones you love. Before you know it Thursday becomes Friday, and it’s back to the grind. And let me tell you, a week takes a long time when you have something so wonderful waiting at the end of it.
