The Tradition of Wednesday Night Dinners

Wednesday night dinners have been a tradition in our family for over 15 years. We began getting together in the middle of the week when our children were still in Middle school and High school. We continued the Wednesday night dinners throughout the college years, celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, major accomplishments and just plain "life" in general. It is a special time for family members to share their news of the week and reconnect with eachother. Our extended family arrives shortly before we sit down to eat dinner and they leave an hour or so after dessert. We are fortunate enough to have a table that sits all 12 of us.

Having our family dinners right in the center of the work week helps to confirm great attendance. Everyone loves to go to a dinner party in the middle of the week and this special event never conflicts with busy weekend activities. The five little cousins look forward to this special evening and I am told that some of their calanders revolve around Wednesdays. It is not uncommon to have the little boys arrive as pirates, gypsies, or super heroes. It is wonderful to hear their running steps on the stairs, coming from both the first and third floors, as they burst into the second floor entry way.

As our children's spouses joined our family, they joined us at the dinner table as well. Our Wednesday night dinners have grown in size over the past six years as our son-in-laws have become sons, our daughters have become mothers, our sons have become very, very special uncles, and my husband and I have become (what grandson Dub Dub named us) Nons and Bobs.

As the energy continues to flow throughout the three households, it is very recognizable this is a true family affair.