The Table by Barry Hughes


As I made my daily rounds I came across this yard with a freshly painted, bright and cheerful picnic table and benches. I wondered if it was a new addition to the family’s life or if it was an old friend that had made the big move from the back yard behind the fence. Many neighbors have slowly “set up shop” on their porches and in their front yards over these months. Some now work in well equipped open-air offices, complete with computers and printers. Others sit and read and watch the world go by.

I imagined who sits at this table, and how many might gather there. I have never seen the occupants of this house, so I have free reign in my musings. I picture a small child’s birthday party with their favorite cake sitting in the middle of this table, candles ablaze. Or perhaps the parent of a parent sitting quietly here and smiling as they look into the face of the baby they hold, their first grandchild. I can imagine plates of food, hot off the grill, as the family gathers for a meal. Maybe this is where mom and dad go when they need two minutes of privacy to make a big decision.

Many important things in life, both big and small, happen around the table. Laughter. Tears. Stories. Questions. Answers. Sharing. Meals. Jigsaw puzzles. Homework. Planning. Celebrations. Work. Prayer. Games. All these, and the countless other activities we can add to the list, add up to the most important thing: a sense of belonging.

Belonging. To belong is to be known in all our differences and uniqueness and flaws. To belong is to know others in this same way, and to relate to them with the same love, respect and acceptance for which we long. To belong is to know, in ways deeper than intellect and reason, that we are truly loved. To belong is to know that we have found home.

My religious tradition teaches that we all belong. We all belong to God. We all belong to each other. We all belong at the table. Mother Teresa said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

The table is plenty big enough for everyone to belong. Why would I stay away? How could I ever keep another away?

Peace.

-by Barry Hughes

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