White Tile and Conversation

May 8, 2007

Our kitchen table is not made of the finest oak. It is not large or grand in beauty. It is small and rectangle. It has white tiles in the center and is framed out in a light wood. The legs of the table are simple and white. There is no fancy design to make them stand out. Their purpose is the support the table top without flare or statement. The edges are dented and scratched from constant use. The condition of the chairs is similar to that of the table. There are little hand prints that sometimes appear on the table and chairs in a variety of flavors, from spaghetti sauce to finger paints. But, this table is in the most important place where the most important conversations occur.
I often find myself thinking about the meaningful conversations I’ve been a part of at our kitchen table. It is not only the place where our family eats; it is the place where we find out about each other. I think about my seven year old son who is so busy and full of energy that it is hard to pin him down and really talk. At our simple kitchen table, my son sits still long enough to eat and talk freely about his newest theories on life and asks questions about things he heard at school. At the same time, my other children comment on the food and what cartoon character is on their plates.
The plates that we eat off of at our kitchen table are mismatched. When the kids are at the table, they eat off of Star Wars plates and use Spiderman silverware. The adults at the table use our plates with the mint green and black triangles along the edges. There never seems to be enough silverware to go around and I often wonder what great adventures my kids used them for.
Cups are another variety. There are no glasses at our kitchen table, only plastic cups. Some are clear, some are green, and some are in the shape of cartoon characters. The colorful array of décor on the table is second nature to the comfort and concern felt when sitting in front of the mismatched meal.
The emotions felt at our table can be as random as the place settings and many times reach beyond our immediate family. It is felt by guests that frequent the rectangle structure for food and conversation. My sister is one who has sat at our table and shared fears and emotions as her four-year-old daughter went through chemotherapy after being diagnosed with leukemia. It was comforting for both of us to be able to sit together and talk about the reality of cancer in a safe and simple setting.

Conversations are not always complicated at our table; sometimes they are as simple as the table itself. The men that visit our home are usually engaged in conversation about basketball or fishing. Women discuss potential decorating changes that would make the entire room more appealing. The people and conversations change and sometimes so does the paint on the walls but, the table, as simple and insignificant as it may seem, remains a constant, giving our home a feeling of comfort and warmth that everyone who enters can feel.