In my childhood, our dinners were the most meaningful and most beautiful time of the day. No matter what everyone had to do, we would all be there for dinner at that time. Although our dinners were usually at different times in summer and winter, they were always eaten in an order and at the same time. Even if my mother and I swept up the plates of cookies and pastries at afternoon tea, we had to sit at the table and eat something at dinner because my father, and my grandfather before him, believed that the family should be together at this meal time and eat and spend time together.

Family conversations, discussions and important decisions would be made at this time, and at the same time enjoyable times would be spent. By the time the evening call to prayer was called, there was no one left on the streets. Even if my father and I were out with the family at that time, I would feel a sense of guilt. The family and the dinner ceremony must have been so ingrained in my bones that even after half a century and being a businesswoman, I still feel a sense of sadness every day that I am not at home in the evening, in fact it happens almost every day...

My father would always start the meal first. No matter who sat down first, we would wait for my father to take the first bite. This was one of our unwritten family traditions. Now I continue this tradition in my own family, we all try to eat together as much as possible, and our children wait for us or other elders to start eating. I hope this will continue, I find it very elegant.

Of course nothing is like it was when we were children. Like most of us, I spend more than half of the week at work dinners, and so do my wife and children. But we all have to spend time together as a family every day, it is essential for the unity and continuity of the family, for a meaningful and enjoyable family life. So even on the way home in the evening, we always have small activities like a coffee or a fruit time. We always reserve these special moments for each other to critique the day or to exchange ideas and make important decisions.

Now, I have recently learned that at the dinner table, it is imperative not to talk if possible, or to talk about nice things. The masters say that if it is important to stay in the moment, it is also important to be in the moment while eating. Being tomato with tomato, okra with okra. Being one and the same with vegetables and fruits, savoring every bite or sip. That's why they have been saying chew slowly and chew a lot since time immemorial. Talking while eating, or reading the newspaper or doing other things breaks the spell. We don't realize what we are eating and drinking, we can't taste it, we don't know when we are full, and at the same time we destroy the energy of each bite. As I have written many times before, when we talk about the energy of water, every bite turns negative, decaying and decomposing with everything we think and talk about while doing other things. The best thing is to heal the food with love and gratitude before we start eating and enjoy every bite with this feeling of gratitude. The most important thing we get wrong is these long conversations about food. We all love long dinner table conversations with our family and friends.

Since it is one of the things we cannot give up, we should at least spend this time with good conversations, conversations full of love and joy. Then the food on the table will be healed and filled with good energy. One bad thing, bad news, sad events and gossip should be avoided at the dinner table. For years we have lived without this valuable knowledge.

Speaking of valuable knowledge, let's conclude today's article with an affirmation, one of my most beautiful and cherished pre-dinner ceremonies. The moment you sit down at the dining table, make it a habit to say out loud or silently, with hoopono'pono and bismillah to every food and drink on the table, starting from the food on your plate:
"I thank you for everything on the table, I love you, you bring health and healing to me and everyone at the table. You are causing me to reach my ideal and healthy weight. I thank you for all the work that has gone into getting it in front of me. Thank you."

Mukaddes Pekin Başdil

Researcher-Author

Source: Denizli Haber