What is the true meaning of eating together?

I personally believe that eating together “really” means waiting for the other person, or other people in front of one, or beside one, before starting to eat.

It isn’t just a question of good behaviour, it’s much more than that.

It’s more a question of awareness, of realizing that in a few moments we will be sharing something with people whom, usually, we care about.

I have often eaten where people sitting at the same table start to eat without waiting for each other, without looking around, without observing if others have everything they need so that they can appreciate this moment.

Sometimes we don’t even realize we have started eating… lost as we are in our thoughts, still thinking about our last phone-call, about what we still have to get done.

And what about giving thanks (even silently) to the person who prepared this food? What about asking ourselves and our fellow diners about the smell of the food, the ingredients we are about to taste?

And let’s look eachother in the eyes, before starting, even just for a moment, to become aware that we are about to have a break TOGETHER, a pause, a rest, sharing our food?

And since we are amongst those fortunate enough to be able to sit at a table each day, wouldn’t this be the ideal opportunity to “thumb our noses” at our rushed life-style?

I can tell you that for me, eating together – really together- is one of the most beautiful nutrients there are!