The Gratitude Table: Honoring Those Who Fed Us
There’s a blessedness to the table that goes beyond the meal. It’s where stories simmer, laughter rises, and legacy is served in quiet, nourishing ways. As we settle into the grace of gratitude during this season of thanksgiving, I find myself returning to the kitchens and dining rooms of my childhood to honor those who fed us — not just with food, but with love, ladled generously with wisdom baked into every bite.
I remember the scent of homemade rolls rising in my grandmother’s oven, the way she hummed hymns while stirring greens, and the gentle clink of plates that signaled it was time to gather. Her table was more than a place to eat, it was a sanctuary. A place where prayers were whispered over steaming bowls, where every dish carried a story, and where the sweet potato pie wasn’t just dessert, it was a legacy of resilience, passed down through hands that had known both hardship and hope.
With gratitude, I’ve come to realize that it’s not just a feeling, it’s strength. It’s the way we pause to remember who poured into us, who made space for us, who fed us when we didn’t even know we were hungry for more than food. It’s honoring the aunties who taught us to season with soul, the fathers who grilled with quiet pride, the neighbors who brought over casseroles and cakes in times of grief. And it’s not just about the past.
The gratitude table is also about who we’re feeding now. Who we’re inviting to the table in this new season of thanksgiving. Who we’re nourishing with our presence, our prayers, our patience. It’s about making room for the lonely, the weary, the ones who don’t yet know they belong.
This holiday season let us reflect on the grace of gratitude, and how making room at the table will usher in a new generation of blessings, of togetherness, of bonding, and the privilege to belong.
I invite you to set your own gratitude table with intention this year. Light a candle for someone who’s gone, by honoring that empty seat with another soul. Share a recipe that carries memory. Speak a word of thanks to someone who’s poured into you, as you have an opportunity to now pour into someone else.
And if reconciliation is needed, if there’s someone you’ve been distant from, consider this your nudge to reach out. The table is wide enough to share more love and spread generously the balm of healing. Because gratitude isn’t also just about saying “thank you.” It’s about living in a way that honors those who fed us — mind, body, and soul.
A Legacy Recipe
Here’s one of my family’s favorites. A simple sweet potato casserole passed down through five generations. It’s not just delicious, it’s a reminder of the women who stirred with love and prayed while peeling.
Mom-Mom Alice’s Sweet Potato Fluff
Ingredients:
5 large sweet potatoes, boiled and mashed
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup sweet condensed milk
¼ cup melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional: add on marshmallows or brown sugar pecan topping (be adventurous and use both!) to dish 15 minutes before removing dish from oven.
Method:
Mix all ingredients together
Pour into a baking dish, top as desired
Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes
Serve with love and a story
A Table Blessing
Before you eat, pause. Light a candle. Speak a name. Say “Thank You.”
“For the hands that fed us, the hearts that held us, and the grace that still sustains us — we give thanks.”
Charlene A. Berry is a Professional Prevention Specialist in the field of Social Work and Mental Health. She is also Book Editor and Contributor to Link2Us Magazine where she heads the faith section of the magazine.