The Kitchen Table

The kitchen table was the heart of the Holton home. 

When guests came, they often sat in the kitchen instead of the living room.

My sister sent me this poem about a kitchen table.

Perhaps the World Ends Here* 

by Joy Harjo

The world begins at a kitchen table.  No matter what, we must eat to live.

The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table.  So it has been since creation, and it will go on.

We chase chickens or dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners.  They scrape their knees under it.

It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human.  We make men at it, we make women.

At this table we gossip, recall enemies and the ghosts of lovers.

Our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children.  They laugh with us at our poor falling-down selves and as we put ourselves back together once again at the table.

........

At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow.  We pray of suffering and remorse.  We give thanks.

Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last sweet bite.

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February 1952 - I think we're doing something with Valentines here.

January 1953 - Jan, Tom & Susan

Three little people or two adults fit here

I always felt a bit penned in when I sat on this side of the table

It wasn't easy to get in and out of that space.

September 1955 Cousin Melissa was visiting

July 1957 - I think I'm more than a little excited with these baby kittens!

Mom's high chair is behind me. It's still being used, now by her great-grandchildren

 December 1956 splatter painting

July 1977 - I love the "chaos" in this picture - and Dad is calmly chewing his food 

Susan is feeding Christopher in the high chair. Julius is waiting for Christopher to drop something. Jan is holding Adam. Someone's baby bottle is under the table. Two other grandchildren peek from the right side. 

ca 1980 - This is a classic!

Mom and Dad were such sticklers for manners. Then we all left home and they got Julius.

We were totally amazed that Julius was allowed at the table and drooling was OK!

February 28, 2004 - probably one of the last family gatherings at the kitchen table. Both our parents had died, Mom in February 2003 and Dad in December 2003. Speaker phone in the middle of the table - probably so we could include our Boston sibling in the conversation. Brownies - in honor of Mom. She always had chocolate treats.

We decided the kitchen table would be one of the last things out of the house. 

It was.

 March 31, 2004

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First photo perhaps in 2002
Entire poem here