Ten minutes to savor

Laura K. Silver is a trustee of the Jewish Light who writes a blog for the paper’s website (stljewishlight.com/laura).  She owns The Paper Trail of St. Louis, a financial and legal concierge service. She is the mother of two elementary school-age children.

By Laura K. Silver

As the youngest of four children, I was the only one left in the house by age 10. They didn’t have data back then to tell us how important it is to have dinner as family. In our house, we had breakfast.

Every morning, Mom, Dad and I took our seats around the table. Each day, Dad blew his nose into his white handkerchief, put on his metal rimmed glasses and pulled out the Globe Democrat. We spent the next few minutes giving our all to the “Wordy Gurdy.” Then I’d hear the doorbell ring, and my friend would come inside, ready to walk to school with me. I would pack up my Happy Days metal lunch box, give my parents their kisses and be on my way. 

Fast forward. 

These days, I wake up, check the computer for the news, sign in to my email and, unlike most people I know, make my coffee at home. My kids are too young to do the “Wordy Gurdy” (if it exists) and would probably rather play on their iTouch if given a choice. But, in deference to my childhood, I create family time each morning and I have my coffee at home. 

It’s not that I’m anti-Starbucks.  I wait eagerly in line on Sept. 1 for my Pumpkin Spice Latte just like everyone else. But for my everyday life, I want more.  I want real mugs, not sleeved paper cups. I want to sit down and drink my coffee at a table, not in a car with nine cup holders. I want to take time to connect with my family each morning, even in our fast-paced world.   

I’m not sure when we decided to be a “to go” society, available to everyone during all of our waking hours. But for 10 minutes a day, I’m not going to answer my phone or return your text. For 10 minutes a day, I’ll be drinking my coffee. And I’ll be drinking it out of a real mug, with real cream, having a face-to-face conversation and savoring time with my family. In a world of “to go,” for 10 minutes each morning,  I’m opting “for here.”