Joy A. Mead

Quick feet rush excitedly through the front door with eager anticipation of a weekly family tradition. School bags are carelessly tossed on the dining room floor while uniform bits are discarded in a trail around the house in exchange for comfy clothes. A sigh of relief is deeply exhaled by both our children as they nestle themselves into our well-loved sofa. This is our Friday!

No homework is on the agenda and the only real concern is deciding what movie to watch. Will it be a comedy, sci-fi, drama, or cartoon sort of afternoon? A warm, fresh cookie is usually the popular choice of snack as I try not to nag about any crumbs! I remind myself that it’s the end of another week and choosing to relax is more important than keeping a perfectly tidy house. After all, this is our Friday.

Uniforms and various coloured clothes are quickly tossed into the washing machine. The soap suds are washing the week’s challenges, worries, and disappointments away as well as the actual clothes.

And what’s for dinner? Something straightforward and almost always finger food! It’s sometimes chicken nuggets or fish fingers with chips and quite possibly the only green thing will be some peas or cucumber slices. Homemade pizza or a grilled cheese toastie make equally nice options. As little brain power and effort are used up, for we all need a break, even Mama. Remember, this is our Friday!

Halfway through the movie, the front door opens and Daddy/Hubby is home! Now complete again as a family of four, the outside world can be put on hold. Bills to pay, errands to run, cleaning to be done, and decisions to make will all have to wait, for family time is the top priority.

So what’s all the fuss about? Is it really that exciting? To some, maybe not. But in a broken world of loneliness and distractions, intentional family time seems just the ticket for us. The laughter, the smiles, the conversations, are all part of that sense of home—a place of security and belonging. We don’t have to act like others when we are happily settled in our own unique family ways. You see, this is our Friday.

Years from now, I will fondly reminisce on our family’s Friday tradition and be forever grateful to God for this moment in time. The movies watched, the fun food consumed, and the warmth of our home built together over the years will stay with me forever, yet most of all I will cherish the genuine love we shared on all those Fridays.

And when our children are off doing whatever they need to do in the world, I hope they always remember with fondness that “these were our Fridays”—full of love, warmth, and belonging. No matter how old they get, my children will always have a place to come back to, for filling up their hearts with encouragement, acceptance, and soul nourishment.