Picture Perfect Moments
April 21, 2008
Wandering around the Internet, I have been surprised and touched by what people choose to post on the subject of family meals.
Many, many people have snapshots of meals they want to commemorate or remember. Some are special: "Family dinner before Ellie leaves for Europe again." Or a photo of a baby, a dad, and a cupcake with one candle: "We celebrate with a family dinner." Some are gloriously ordinary – nothing but groups sitting around tables smiling at the camera.
The most touching one that I found was a snapshot of a middle aged man in a bathrobe sitting at the kitchen table with someone who appears to be his wife. The man is attached to a piece of medical equipment that involves a pole, a bag of liquid, and some kind of monitor. The caption? "My first family meal at home."
These are the milestones of our lives, the things that define us. Having a meal together is an achievement, an adventure, something we should never take for granted.
Mealtimes Matter Video
from Miriam Weinstein
About Miriam
Miriam Weinstein is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. As a journalist, she has won several awards from the New England Press Association. Her work has appeared in Boston Magazine, the Boston Globe magazine, Hope, and ParentSource. A former staff member for North Shore Weeklies and freelancer for Essex County Newspapers, she writes restaurant reviews and food columns as well as features on a wide variety of subjects. She lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with her husband and has two grown children.
The Surprising Power of Family Meals
In her book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals, Miriam Weinstein shows how this basic human institution helps nourish and strengthen our families today. You can buy this book from our friends at Smucker's® Online Store.
