All in a Shared Meal

My husband and I are friends with a couple who used to enjoy hosting a lot of dinner parties when we could get together with those outside of our households. A few years ago, we were invited to share dinner with them and three other couples, including their son and daughter-in-law. After we had enjoyed a pre-meal socialization period with the other invited guests, our hosts announced that dinner was ready. As always, they had put a lot of thought into their preparation, which was evident from the array of appetizing dishes they had laid out. As we sat at the table, we all commented on the increase in our appetites because of the display that was before us.

When the hosts invited us to dish up, there was very little hesitation from those present. It became evident to me, as we dished up, that the aforementioned increase in appetite was true for some of our party. Some dished just enough food for one serving, yet others piled up their plates. When the dishes got to the end of the table where our hosts’ son and daughter-in-law were seated, there wasn’t much food left for them. The couple graciously shared the crumbs between themselves without a fuss and making anyone feel uncomfortable. I admired their graciousness, especially when some of the food that was piled on people’s plates ended up uneaten and in the garbage at the end of the meal.

On our way home, I bemoaned to my husband how unfortunate the situation had been. If only we had all paid close attention to our portion sizes and taken the number of people at the table into consideration, the situation would have been totally different. I only hoped that everyone present was cognizant of our experience that evening and learned something from it.

When we are able to get together again, let us try to be the kind of person others will look forward to sharing a meal with. Consideration for others around the table should be something we all think about. Our preference for a certain part of meat doesn’t mean we should always be the ones to have it. By forgoing it, we give someone else the opportunity to enjoy it just as much as we would. Having just a few Brussels sprouts on our plate is a lovely way to ensure that our niece or host who appreciates them as much as we do, can have a few more on her plate as well.

Sharing meals with our loved ones isn’t just another opportunity to enjoy our favourite dish. It is also a time to show people that we care about them by being considerate. People’s experiences during dinner parties inform them whether or not they would want a repeat experience with their guests or hosts. Let us always strive to be the kind of person others look forward to breaking bread with again and again.