Supper At Our House

One thing I don't really think about much is that there are things "normal" families do that we simply don't.  And it's okay; it's how our family operates and it's no big deal.  Until of course I'm in conversation with someone else and it's brought home to me that we're a little odd.

Take family meal times.  We have "sit down" dinners very rarely.  One, everybody has a crazy schedule, but even when time allows it doesn't happen much.  Oddly enough on this one I'm one of the frequent sticking points.  I'm pure introvert and when I've had a very people-oriented day (which I often do) I don't want to interact with anybody when I get home.  Basement Artist is wired very much like I am but her lifestyle is currently less people-oriented so she doesn't usually balk at family suppers.  But she doesn't encourage them, either.

Depending on how she's feeling Social Hurricane is sometimes gung-ho for family meals, but sometimes she's in a depressive state and not fit company and sometimes the hallucinations are making so much noise in her head that she can't really participate anyway.  Graphics Magician will come to the table and eat if instructed (and will set the table and help clear away if so instructed) but he's twelve going on twenty and the rest of us are hopelessly uncool and he doesn't interact with us much if he can help it (unless he has some new trick he wants to show off.)

So Adored Wife is the only one who really values family suppers and is almost always the one who has to take point making sure it happens and it's an uphill battle for her.  She enjoys cooking but with her physical limitations she has to guilt the rest of us into setting the table and doing the side dishes and the drinks and so forth.   And after all that she has to go lie down and take the pressure off her neck and spine.  Other than some help from the kids clearing the table, I'm invariably the one who does the dishes.  But I usually enjoy doing dishes as long as I can put on some music and chase everybody else out of the kitchen so I can finally get some alone time, so that's okay.

So that's how we do family suppers.  When we do them, which is rarely.  And sometimes I realize that's not normal.

Hope all's well out there, friends, and God bless.