My Safe Haven

After a long day at school and hours spent on homework, my whole family sits down for dinner at my dinner table. My mom's cooking aromas fill the air and the sound of pots and pans being picked up and placed on the large table in my dining room. Dinner at my house is not elegant in any way, with a usual messed up tablecloth probably from my brother's messy eating habits. The minute we sit down, laughter fills the entire room with everyone being themselves completely. We all tell each other about our days at either work or school, reflecting on our daily experiences. Being able to freely express myself after a long day at school being very quiet is really soothing. My family accepts me for who I truly am so when I sit down in my chair I feel like I don't have to hide my true identity. Everywhere else I go in my life like school and my job, I have to put on a mini show. I act to what my teachers and customers would want to see not how I want to be. Who doesn't conserve themselves in times of seriousness? It is never comfortable, I know that. Not being able to be yourself feels like there is a giant crowd of people watching your every move, judging you every second. When I walk through the doors of my house, I never have to worry about any of those obnoxious feelings.
        Another thing I love is that anyone who sits at my dinner table feels welcome and is treated like family. On the weekends, it is not rare to have many extra people sitting around my table. No matter who it is and what time of day, if my family and or friends are sitting down, roaring of laughter surrounds the room. Its an open place where everyone is free to say whatever they are thinking. I know for me, dinner time is when I tell my family what happened at school that day from the monstrous amounts of work I completed or the silly gossip that is spreading around school. I learn things about my family from this experience as well. I feel ten times closer to my family after we eat dinner. I consider myself to be pretty lucky that I still get to sit down with my family every night. Many families don't get to do this and I believe it makes you closer to your family. I couldn't imagine my life without considering I have done this since I was a baby.
       Maybe I like dinner time so much since I am a foodie. I think food is just a good conversation starter and something that makes everyone happy. I know it makes me feel good. When the taste of a home cooked meal floods my mouth, first of all, it's delicious and secondly, it's calming. The food and my family combined is a quick stress reliever. I can temporarily forget about everything that is attacking my brain making me feel slightly insane and just relax and more importantly, vent my feelings to them. I am so happy I get to have this tradition every night with my family and I hope one day when I have a family I can too make dinner a great atmosphere for them.