Enjoying meals together, on a daily basis, is a very important part of the Latin lifestyle. And there are many good reasons for that. When was the last time your family had dinner together?

I'm not talking about Holidays, like Thanksgiving. And I'm not talking about shoving food into your mouth while you watch TV. I'm talking about a real meal, around the table, enjoying nice conversation. Do you remember how it is like?

Ideally, dinner should be a family time. My mother always said to me and my siblings: "This is a home, not a hotel. We're not just a bunch of people who happen to live in the same place. We are a family!" She's absolutely right.

A family is more than people living together. Family is a group of people who share their lives, their joys and sorrows, their victories and failures. But you cannot share your life, if you barely talk to each other. This days, we seem to be always in a hurry, tired, lost in our own world. We're drifting apart.

A good way to avoid the disconnection between the members of the family is having dinner together. Every day. No TV allowed, off course. Make this a rule; if you have children, make a clear statement about this. The sooner, the better - don't wait until they're teenagers.

You may have to face some reluctant faces - after all, you'll be changing "the way things have always been". Don't fall for that. Persevere, and you'll see the rewards. The benefits of family time over dinner are many; for example, you'll be more connected, your awareness of each other needs will increase substantially, you'll get the chance to know better your loved ones. And that's just for starting.

Oh, and it doesn't matter if you're not a "traditional family". Even if it's just you and one child, ore just you and your husband, you ARE a family.

How about beginning tonight? La cena está servida!