I miss a full table

“We love to entertain”, that’s what you hear in many real estate TV shows where a happy couple is looking for a new home. The host shows them amazing places with beautiful views, ample rooms, and a pool area great for parties. Our home is not big at all, we are still dreaming of building a fence and a deck so we can have more room for outdoor celebrations, but it is beautiful to see that actually all that fancy space is not needed when you are with people you love. We have a big table in the middle of our kitchen and that is where we spend most of our time when we get together. Of course, sadly things have changed due to Covid-19 and we are all adjusting to a new reality, but the joy of sharing with our community is still going strong and it is more appreciated than ever as we all come up with creative ways to face this difficult season. 

Have your eating habits changed during these past months? Have you discovered hidden cooking abilities? Have you found a way to share meals with family and friends? I feel it is in our human nature to keep adapting and improving. At the moment we are all being forced to change our traditions and habits and as difficult as it may be, it could also be an opportunity to make new ones. In our family we like to eat at home so that has not been a major change for us, but now my daughter is enjoying cooking, which I am really loving. She often looks for a recipe, usually a fancy Asian dish, she puts loud music and kicks us all out of the kitchen as she enjoys some free time from her Zoom meetings. The final result is a delicious meal for all of us. (and no cooking for me, which is always a bonus). My son also likes to cook, and he is really good at it, but he only does it when he is in the mood. The other day he facetimed his dad who is in Colombia and he taught him step by step how to make empanadas. They were amazing. I must say just like Mimina’s famous empanadas. I am glad he is learning so he can keep his grandma’s tradition. Instead of going to coffee shops (which I miss so much) we are taking long walks as we sip homemade coffee. We have rediscovered the magic of picnics and socially distanced meals outdoors. We are sharing dinner time through a screen with friends, cooking a lot of new recipes, and trying to keep a close eye on what we are eating because to be honest, for me, it is difficult to stop eating snacks throughout the day.

With Covid things have changed. Life has changed. At the moment we are all contained or slowly going out into “reality” but nothing is the same and it won’t be for some time. But what we do right now as the world changes will affect how we face the future.

This will pass, a new season will come and we need to be ready for it. We need to be a little lighter and a little wiser. We usually go through things to grow and shed what is holding us back so we can receive all the good things that are coming, and I think we can all agree that we have been going through some major things, so I just can’t wait to see all the good that is on its way, the many hugs we will give and receive and the joy I will feel when our table is full again. 

Manuelita