A smaller table

Okay, I have a confession to make...I don't make my dining room table smaller when there is only two of us around here. I'd like to say it's because I use it for a variety of things like...folding laundry, sorting my kids mail and such, painting (or my attempt at painting!) and a variety of other reasons. But in truth whenever I walk into the dining room and the table is out as far as it can go I think that my family will all be home soon. We will all be gathered around to eat, play games, talk, laugh and make memories.

This was the case this weekend. We gathered around that table, all stretched out since the last time all three kids were home....last December, and we all ate together. And the the additional blessing was the extra people we now add to our family, soon to be spouses, a grandparent and good friend. We were missing one. But I realized this morning as I was up before anyone else that the table has not been "small" for months. And I like it that way.

As my kids leave one by one today and I keep moving or I find myself missing them way too much and in disbelief that three days can go that fast-yes I'd planned and worked for the past couple of weeks for this long weekend-I could not wait! But I will leave the table "big". Because the next time we are all gathered together will be the next weekend or event that they all or any of my kids will come home-always great!  And for today, as they all leave I have the "next time" in the back of my mind and will plan for the next two months when we will all be together again and gathered around that table. And to be honest, I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Yes they are all adults. And yes they are all living their own lives. And I'm fiercely proud of each one of them and their significant others. They are all good people. But plain and simple I love to have them home and I am so very blessed to be their mom!

As the next couple of months roll by and we occasionally use the dining room table for a variety of things, mostly an organizational place for "stuff," in the back of my mind I am envisioning the next time we are all home together and gathered around the table for whatever reason and thinking back on the hundreds of other memories and family and friends who have joined us around that table. I am so blessed and can't wait for the next time.

So the table will stay big and wait! But for now I have more great memories of having my family home and under the same roof and more memories made around the table...I am so blessed!