06/02/2026
The older I get, the less I care about creating the perfect summer table.
When the kids were little, I spent a lot of time trying to make every meal feel special. The dishes matched, the table was set, and I imagined everyone sitting together for long conversations and homemade meals.
Then life happened.
The kids grew up. They developed opinions. Schedules became complicated. Some loved what was for dinner, others absolutely did not. Sometimes feeding a big family became more about volume than presentation.
And honestly? That’s okay.
These days, our summer table looks different.
Sometimes it’s flowers from the garden and candles burning.
Sometimes it’s takeout burgers from the next town over because everyone agreed on the same meal for once.
Sometimes we’re squeezed around our little cottage table, grateful that all eight of us are in the same place at the same time.
What I’ve learned is that summer isn’t really about the table.
It’s about who is sitting around it.
Our cottage was never designed for a crowd much bigger than our family, and I think there is something beautiful about that. This place has given us years of ordinary moments, late-night conversations, laughter from the next room, and the gift of being together before life shifts once again.
The older our children get, the more we savor the moments we can grab.
The meals where everyone gets along.
The evenings when nobody is rushing off.
The simple dinners that somehow become memories.
For me, the perfect summer table isn’t about perfection anymore.
It’s about presence.
So tell me…
What makes a summer table feel special to you?
The food?
The flowers?
The candles?
The people?
Or maybe just having everyone you love in the same place for a little while?
