Question of the Day

When the kids were growing up we had dinner together every night. Sometimes with guests so there were always at least six or eight of us.

My real husband and I would often require each person at the table to answer a question. This was so that everyone got to speak regardless of age or size and we could hopefully avoid sulking, screaming matches, food fights, etc.

Over the years these questions grew more interesting. They went from "What two things would you want with you on a desert island?" to "How would you end the war in (fill in the blank?)"

It's surprising to see what a ten year old will come up with when given the same respect and opportunity to speak as the adult next to him.

After the children were grown - but still occasionally coming home for family dinners, I switched the game slightly to "Forgiveness Night." You could confess anything you wanted and the others sitting around the table would forgive you.

I gave this up after two nights. Couldn't take it anymore. Not after hearing about dangling a high school coach by the legs out a second story school window (son-in-law) or an eight year old rowing a tiny boat across a mile wide lake (daughter.)

We forgave them but my heart couldn't take anymore confessions. I'm glad I'm not a priest.