Start with a toast

Make even normal meals feel special

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to start your meals with a toast,
not to special occasion meals, but everyday meals with your family,
because starting your meals with a toast makes them special.

(00:27):
In the absence of kid activities and commutes, more people
are sitting down for family meals these days. This creates
an opportunity to enrich family dinners with intentionality and rituals.
Since you can clink glasses of milk as easily as
glasses of wine, you can involve the whole family in
the toastmaking. One option is for family members to take

(00:49):
turns making a toast to start the meal. Maybe on
Sunday you make the toast, then on Monday the person
who sits to your right and so on. Starting your
meal with a toast offers a chance to share your
good wishes at a time when we could use an
extra dose of optimism. Maybe you describe noticing the first
buds on the rose bushes in your yard. You reflect

(01:10):
that summer is coming. Then you make a toast to
our roses and their promise of new life, or maybe
on family game night, you make a lighthearted toast to
an evening of good games and my continued rain as
Monopoly champ. Making a toast can give family members an
opportunity to recognize people who have made a positive impact

(01:33):
on their days and to honor those making a difference.
If your spouse did loads of laundry yesterday, you could
describe your relief at opening up your sock drawer to
find it replenished. You raise a glass to Tom and
clean socks. Or you might make a toast to healthcare
workers who keep us healthy and teach us courage. The

(01:54):
youngest members of your family can enjoy simply saying cheers
or its equivalent in different languages like sante or salute.
Clinking glasses is fun for everyone. Families that already say
grace before a meal can make a toast afterwards, or
they can make a toast with dessert. They could also
have everyone in the family take turns offering a spontaneous blessing.

(02:18):
It's empowering for kids and adults by the way to
build their skills and confidence by speaking in front of others.
Giving toasts or saying prayers prepares people to be thoughtful
leaders in workplaces and communities. You can even count learning
to make a toast among your kids homeschooling accomplishments. Rituals

(02:39):
like starting a meal with a toast or a blessing
elevate the occasion. They set the tone and add meaning
and connection. That's a lot of upside for just a
few words. So today consider starting your family meals with
a toast, just like I end these podcasts with my
own version of a most you know the sign off

(03:01):
right in the meantime, This is Laura. Thanks for listening,
and here's to making the most of our time. Hey everybody,
I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

(03:23):
me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod
that's B the number four, then Breakfast p o D.
You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast
podcast at i heeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast
is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much,
I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is

(03:50):
a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from
my heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite show All Can't Again,