Before quarantine, I cannot remember the last time my family and I sat down together to eat dinner. It was DEFINITELY before college. Maybe even before high school too. 

We all have always had super different schedules. The older we got the more complicated it got. I was a year-round athlete in high school. Jack has worked until 7 most nights. Joshua would often go to friends’ houses for dinner. My mom often works until 10 or 11 at night. 

Between practices, playdates, work, games, and sometimes just being sick of each other – we just stopped having time for dinner as a family.

In addition to not being able to make time for each other – we all have super different diets. I have been a vegetarian for the last 6 years. Jack is essentially a carnivore and is also on a low carb diet. My mom got a surgery that limits what foods and how much we can eat. And Joshua is the pickiest eater known to man.

I imagine my mom decided that trying to find a meal that worked for everyone just wasn’t worth it. Or even possible for that matter. 

I honestly don’t blame her.

Once we found out that we would be quarantined for the foreseeable future I basically forced my family to all sit down together and eat dinner. 

We had the BEST time. 

We laughed and has heart to heart conversations. From that day back in March, we have had dinner together almost every night.

None of us eat the same meals. Some nights I’ll have cereal, Joshua will have rice with soy sauce, Jack will have Italian sausages, and my mom will have some grilled veggies. 

But regardless we are all together. And it makes us so happy. 

We are so happy.