Intentional Conversations

Have you ever spent time with someone and felt so relaxed, so unhurried, like there was all the time in the world?

I had that feeling today when we were invited to lunch at our friends'.

It was the perfect get-together.

Yummy char siew bao, dao sa bao, dumplings, siew mai, yam rice, chicken porridge that had been cooked in a slow cooker overnight for 10 hours, homemade longan jelly, fragrant coffee enjoyed al fresco...

Simple. Unpretentious. Comforting.

Best of all was The Conversations.

Sometimes, conversations at gatherings can be stilted and unnatural - through no one's fault.

Ours just segued from one topic into another naturally, effortlessly. It was one of the rare times when I didn't feel I had to exert myself to think of something to contribute.

Hubby and the host went off into the garden to have their man chat.

Me and hostess were in the kitchen sharing our thoughts on school work, LOTE policy, the ideal kitchen.

The girls hung out with our hosts' daughter feeding her pet rabbits, playing in the sand box and bouncing on the trampoline, and the older ones came together in an impromptu duet on cello and piano and swopped tunes they knew.

There was a space for everyone.

What a privilege. What a blessing. Thank you. (You know who you are.)