scribblechic

We are a family of four, messy and unpredictable in our fragmented mealtime exclamations.  I look forward to the sharing between bites as I capture lost moments of my loved ones’ days.  The exuberant exchanges are fueled by a simple tradition borrowed from another family.  We play Hello.

Hello is toddler speak, translated it means High Low.  My husband and I first introduced the exchange when our daughter was two, and the name Hello has become an endearment reminiscent of her early sharing, an emphatic “hello.”  Gathered around the table and connected in a moment free of phones, television, friends, and obligations each family member takes a turn sharing a High and alternately Low moment from their day.  Some days the effort passes quickly, on other occasions it offers a unique opportunity to be present in one anther’s lives.

We celebrate the Highs of accomplishment with the same energy we channel to nurture one anther through difficult Lows.  Our moments are equals.  There is no hierarchy by which we measure one another’s joy or sorrow.  It is a moment of connection to one another, our days divided we gather and exchange hellos.

Tagged: Dinner, Family, Mealtime