The Kid’s Table By Melissa Henderson
Next to the large dining room table and chairs were four seats positioned around a smaller table. The adults in the family sat at the big table. The younger people sat at the “kid’s table”. My nephews and I were the ones who found a seat at the “kid’s table” and waited for the adults to give us the okay to bring our plates to be filled with food. Since my nephews were close to my age, they were more like the brothers I never had. We waited. Sometimes we were patient and other times, we picked up our plates and tried to spin them. Our forks and spoons became instruments of music while we watched the adults choose the food they wanted to eat. Sweet potato casserole, green beans, collard greens, turkey, ham, corn pudding, rolls, and more were in abundance. The scents of the meal could be enjoyed from early in the morning when the cooking began. Now was the time to eat that delicious food. Bowls were passed from adult to adult. Glasses of iced tea were filled. The coffee pot was passed around for those folks who wanted that drink. My nephews and I waited. The clinking of serving spoons hitting the bottom of the dishes meant that some of the food was almost gone. No worries. There were more in the pots on the stove.
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Patience was not easy for children between the ages of five and nine. We wanted to have good manners, but waiting was hard. When the adults were ready, they motioned us over to the large table. With our plate in hand, we looked at the table and asked for the food we wanted to eat. “Can I have some sweet potatoes, please?” “No green beans for me.” “I don’t want turkey. I want ham.” I recall the voices and the laughter as each child carefully held their plate while the food was piled on. Trying not to drop anything, we walked slowly back to the “kid’s table”. There were times when some food ended up on the floor. Other times, we maneuvered our way without a single spill. Maybe now and then, a bit of gravy ended up on our shirts. That was okay. The stain would come out in the wash. We enjoyed eating the delicious food. We giggled as we shared funny stories and sounds. After finishing the meal and dessert, we were ready to go back outside to play. The year arrived when I noticed only three chairs at the “kid’s table”. I wondered why a chair was missing. Then I noticed an extra chair at the adult table. That chair was for me. I was old enough to sit with the adults. Feeling like something special was happening, I found my new seat and waited for the blessing to be spoken and the food to be passed from person to person. I was a big girl now and didn’t need to sit at the table with the younger kids.
