September 22nd is Family Dinner Day.

There were six kids in our family. While we grew up, it became my father’s burning desire to build a house in the country. Dad became fanatical about saving, so it was lights off if you weren’t in the room, don’t leave the water running, six kids bathe in one tub of water, privately, starting with the cleanest ones first (usually my sister and me). I don’t remember there being much in the way of exotic food at our house, mainly your typical Midwestern meat and potatoes, starch/protein combos. (I didn't have my first taco until I was in my teens. ) Occasionally a serving a day of fruit, not necessarily fresh and in the summer, salad with orange French or Italian dressing .I don’t remember the concept of seconds except at Thanksgiving. We didn’t eat until we were full, we ate to stave off hunger.
Even though I ate three times a day, I felt hungry a lot. Kids didn’t get snacks. I developed a keen sense of finding food. We knew where all the vineyards were, where all the apple trees were, and depending on how hungry I was, I ate them green. The other kids in the neighborhood said I’d get a bellyache but I thought, “Hmmmm. Hunger pains of stomach aches?” I ate them.
I soon figured out which neighbors gave snacks to hungry kids. Inez Casey used to give us candy. The hippies Phil and Julie used to feed me a little if I looked pathetic enough. One guy, Joe Baldino gave away bowls of hot food. Paydirt!
The Italians on our block would shared occasionally, but mostly served to make us more hungry by cooking with their windows open. Back then, no one had air conditioning, and everyone ate at home or with a family.
Back then, you started hanging closer to your house when moms was rattled pans in the kitchen. It meant dinner was imminent. At our house, you just didn’t miss dinner. At our house, my parents didn’t yell down the street for missing kids. If it was 5:30PM you were sitting in your seat at the table, hands washed. Only once did one brother come home late to dinner. He thought a quarter after five meant 25 after. And he was right on time according to his logic. Eating with family has always been important to me. What I’m finding out it that it hasn’t been true for everyone.
National Family Dinner day is where you make a point to eat with your family. I was struck by how odd it seems that we have put it on the calendar to remember to have dinner with our families. How did we get here? Any thoughts?
For what it's worth, we got our house in the country and a garden. And after my mom got a job, there was a lot more food to go around.