Good And Right

"I love to cook, and I love to have all my family around the dinner table." -Julia Roberts

A few years ago, I started another tradition. See those photos at the far end of the table? They are members of our family who were born in January and have now passed on to the next life. I like to have them with me too.

With my third-born back home for a week over Christmas, I quickly and easily slipped back into my old habit of setting six plates on the table. It felt good and right to do so.

Now it's January. Even though my adventuring daughter has long since hopped a plane back to South Korea, I am still setting a place for her. This may seem silly, odd, or downright neurotic to those who do not have offspring living on the Asian continent, but for me, it feels good and right to do so.

I reset the table every night after dinner and swap the plates around so the sixth plate 

doesn't get dusty. Because that would be weird.

Her plate silently reminds me that, in time, she will be back. And that too feels good and oh, so right.