The small lessons quietly learned between homework, chicken nuggets, and conversation

Dinner time has always been eventful at our house.

Some of the fondest memories I have are when the kids were young, in elementary school, and I had returned to finish my degree. I was still working at my job, and I didn’t have a lot of time in the mornings. I would hand out Pop-Tarts, an occasional egg sandwich, and fruit.

Anything that would transport well, as they tumbled out of the car and into the big yellow bus.

Sesame Street and the theme song to Barney often escorted us out of the door.

Mornings were rushed, hurried, and practical.

In the evenings, the same rush was present, but somehow it carried a different rhythm.

The serenade for the evening was the theme song to The Land Before Time and anything on Nickelodeon or worn VHS tapes that could be played on repeat.

Instead of Pop-Tarts, there were chicken nuggets, any variation of pizza (pocket or flat), French fries, and macaroni and cheese.

We would sit at the table doing homework together. A symphony of spelling words, math problems, Humanities, and English Comp. Somewhere between books spread open, empty ketchup packets, and spilled glasses of soda, the small rhythms of family life quietly unfolded.

Looking back, I realize that we learned more than homework at the table.

We laughed a lot.
We shared about our day.

At the dinner table, there was always room.

Room for laughter.
Second helpings.
Third-grade gossip from the playground.

And questions like:

What is Humanities?
You have homework, too?
Can I have another cookie?

The lessons we learned were bigger than what we learned in class.

They learned that grown-ups like to learn, too, and yes, they have homework.

And yes, the homework can be hard.

That it’s okay not to have all the answers.

Sometimes laughter is the best answer to frustration.

I learned that mustard, ketchup, and other goopy things wipe off textbooks, even if they leave a stain.

But more than that, I learned that some of life’s best moments are found gathering at the table.

Tables covered with schoolbooks and term papers.
Pizza pockets.
Chicken nuggets.
Sticky spilled soda.

And conversations that seemed small at the time.

Our dinner time was less about eating food and more about building memories.

—J. Lashelle

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