Monday, March 21, 2011

Service with Style

Ben and I were treated to a date night yesterday by, get this, our daughter. Her Girls of Praise group came up with the idea to bless their parents with a dinner and entertainment following our community meeting at River Ridge. They made invitations, prepared lasagne and brownies ahead of time, and set the tables in the family room at River Ridge so we could dine in style.

Our evening began with our daughter (donned in her apron) escorting us to our table where we had handmade place cards indicating our seats. Once the parents were all assembled, we were treated to music and encouraged to dance with our spouse. With giggling in the background, Ben and I enjoyed a couple dances, one to Stevie Wonder's I Just Called to Say I Love You....that one never gets old. Then we took our seats again to be entertained by the girls. Some had prepared a song, some a piano piece and two girls shared their favorite joke.

Next we were served bread and salad.

Then heaping portions of lsagne, which was delicious. Next, fruit served from a carved watermelon basket. And finally, brownies and ice cream topped with chocolate.

This was a feast indeed.

I think the best parts were watching the girls do ALL the work and enjoy it at the same time. They truly honored us with their service and smiles. They treated us with respect and care. I was blessed to see that at a young age, they now have the experience of seeing what makes a good date. One hope we have is for the girls to be attracted to a gentleman who knows how to date well. If it is their calling to be open to being married, I pray for them to have this kind of picture in their minds. Here they saw their parents laughing, talking, dancing, eating, appreciating, and loving each other.

I also enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the parents we sat next to. The couple we talked with most of the evening is originally from Columbia. They have quite a story and were able to share about the hardships there. Another parent shared his amazing and often humorous stories of visiting Venezuela on a mission trip for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He is the main photographer and a writer for the Catholic Spirit newspaper. His stories of meeting the church members of the parish he visited, seeing the barrios, praying he would survive the harrowing trips in the car, conversations with the locals about Chavez, etc....We had a marvelous time just hearing more about the two countries, their differences, their similarities and how things have changed over the last several decades. It was a blessing indeed to share a meal with brothers and sisters in our body and appreciate even more the One Lord who unites us.

From the flowers and Hersey kisses on the table, to watching the girls clear our spots and clean, to sharing our life and stories with new friends, Ben and I were grateful.

Nine year olds are amazing!

Thanks for a great date, Kate.

1 comment:

Jen said...

What a special evening! I'm glad you had a great time. Way to go, Kate! Well done!