Growing up, my family rarely went out to eat – if we did, it was rare. Our birthday celebrations were at someone’s home and our holiday get-togethers were at Mom and Dad’s house – never out at restaurants. Those are my fondest memories. Celebrations at home. I have the black-and-white photos to prove it.
I was born in the fifties. My birthday parties growing up sometimes included a friend or two invited to our house for tacos, or sandwiches, or spaghetti, and cake. Sometimes, it was just cake. Nothing fancy, but that’s what Mom and Dad could afford. We all had fun, and I have the photos to prove it!
When my daughters were little, my dad would create goofy celebratory banners from his computer (when printer paper was still connected at the ends, and the sides were edged with circles that fit onto the printer feeders - dot matrix paper for you techies). He would hang those silly banners across the front door or over the dining table. Everyone looked forward to seeing his latest creation. Mom would cook the birthday person’s favorite meal or Dad would cook something tasty on the grill. I cherish those memories and have photos to prove it.
These days, people tend to take pictures only when they’re out at a restaurant or during extra-curricular activities and events. Why not at home? It used to be that families and friends gathered in homes for meals and good times. Home, after all, is our comfy place. Now it seems, according to most photos on social media at least, that their fondest times are away from the house. Why is that?
During Covid-19, we were all stuck at home. My husband, our grown son, and I spent many meals at home together during lockdown. We had a good time. We horsed around taking selfies and played board games. I have photos to prove it.
Recently, I attended a small birthday party for our three-year-old grandson, who was visiting briefly from Ecuador. The party was held at my daughter’s house, not at a restaurant. We ordered pizza, had a cake, and played pin-the-tail on the donkey (yes, even the adults were blindfolded and gave it their best to hit the donkey and not the wine glasses hanging on the wall). Guess what. We had a lot of laughs and there are photos to prove it.
My challenge to you and myself is, for the next special occasion, or just because, invite everyone to your house. Have them bring a dish to make it easier for you as the host, cook someone’s favorite meal, or order food in. Take pictures so you’ll have them to look back on. Make sure that the picture taker is in the photos – grab your selfie sticks – I know you all have selfie sticks by now. You’ll still have fun, and you’ll have the photos to prove it.