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Dinner Parties

The table Is where we are reminded of we belong

My family has always made a big deal about meals (we still do). Sunday dinners. Holidays and birthdays centered around the kitchen or dinners out. Food has always been present.
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It took me a while to understand what that was really about. It was love. That's how my family showed care. Every home-cooked meal from Dad, every cut up apple or peel orange from Mom, every “sit down and eat” - that was their way of saying "you matter to me."
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Understanding that helped me understand myself better. It made the concept of love languages click for me. One of mine being acts of service. I feel most like myself when I'm doing something for the people I care about. And hosting a dinner party? That's one of the clearest ways I know how to do that.
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I genuinely love to host. Preparing the food, setting up the space, welcoming people in - it brings me a lot of joy. It’s not to impress anyone, it is simply to create an environment for conversation and quality time together.
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Dinner parties give people common ground. You put a group of different people around a table with good food and something shifts. As food gets passed around, conversations happen more naturally and, just like that, you learn something new no matter how long you’ve known each other for.
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Hosting has taught me a lot. I've learned to read a room - to notice when someone feels nervous or left out. I've gotten better at bringing people into conversation and making space for everyone. It's made me more empathetic and more aware of what people need. My emotional intelligence has grown through these experiences in ways I didn't expect.
All skills that apply to my everyday life and profession.
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You don't need a big space or fancy cooking skills to host. The table is where connection happens. Pull up a chair!