EATING TOGETHER

 

“Lord, we don't need another mountain
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross
Enough to last until the end of time.”

From the song ‘What the world needs now’ 

by Dionne Warwick

Some days ago, I messaged to a young mother: “Ma’am, Noyonika (daughter) has to attend a workshop tomorrow from 4 to 6 pm. The topic of the work shop will be ‘Effective use of time.” Then, I added, “Ma’am, even you can join the workshop… You know, it’s a useful subject.”

It's was 10.30 in the night when I sent this message. “Noyonika will attend the workshop, Sir. I won’t be able to attend as it would be a working day.”  She added, “Sir, I am still on my way home.”

And, here at our home, we were set to go off to bed. I told my wife about the conversation I just had.

A couple of days later, during the Public Speaking session, Noyomika was on stage. I told everyone about the conversation I had with her mother a few days earlier.

“Does Mom reach home late, always, or once in a while?” I asked the young girl.

“Sir, she is the HR head in her company. She has to stay back on most of the days,” the girl said.

“Do you and Dad wait for her to come home and eat together, or do you have your dinner before she comes?” I asked.

“We wait for her to come home and eat our dinner together, Sir, even though I have early school,” she told.

“Who else lives in the family?” I asked.

“Our dog, Bruno.”

“What about him?”

“Even he doesn’t eat till Mom comes home.”

The young ones in the class were listening with disbelief…

“How many of you eat together dinner like this?” I asked them

Just a few hands went up…

I knew the situation in my own house!

Praying together, eating together… these values have slowly and steadily crumbled. Each one is with his/her own devise, and in his/her own corner… each one takes the plate and eats in his/her own sweet time…

The scene has become so normal, that one doesn’t like to discuss about it in public…

Yes, here, in our Public Speaking class, this 15-year-old was telling what was ‘normal’ in her house… For her Dad, dog and herself to wait for her young working mother to come home, no matter how late, freshen up… and eat together discussing about the hectic day just gone behind…

I was impressed, humbled, and left with a quiet guilt inside…

Towards the end of the session, I played a video, which, perhaps, I have shown my students every summer…

Probably, I have done that to remind myself… yes, about what’s crumbled around me… and, in me.

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Misha Zimin

Video:  Super Ads