Hollywood Might Have the Right Idea About Family Meals
Recently, I saw a meme that struck a chord with me. It was about how in every movie, characters see a breakfast with toast and eggs and fresh-squeezed orange juice, and cereal and bacon, and the whole nine, yet they run out the door with a single piece of dry toast because they are late. But the expectation is that the main character will make an appearance, say hi to their loved ones, get some nutrients in their body to start their day, and then dash out the door.
If it’s not breakfast depicted in the movie, it’s dinner. A nice, sit-down, nuclear family eating dinner. Mom is serving mashed potatoes and Dad is cutting the meatloaf. The teenage child is actually venting about their problems, and a younger child makes a bad joke. We’re all too familiar with the scene and likely have never imitated it. That’s okay; a family doesn’t have to look or talk or act like a movie screen family. That’s just not possible.