In our home, whenever someone sits down to eat anything, someone else in the home sits down too, just to keep them company.
Not necessarily to make conversation, or eat something too, but just to be with them.
A long time ago, I worked with someone who came from Taiwan. We were talking about lunch, and he said, “People should not eat alone” – this was a deep and fervent part of his up-bringing.
Eating is like a celebration, an ultimate kind of sharing – sharing what came from the earth with each other. I feel that eating is not just a necessary chore, but is rather honoring our bodies.
Perhaps that’s a subconscious reason why people go to restaurants – to have company as they eat, to be around other people, even if it’s just the wait-staff there.
If I eat at home and no-one is around, I begin each meal as I always do, by saying, “Please bless this meal” – very simply. And so, I bring to mind that a Divine Presence is always with me, and so I never eat alone.