Family First Sundays: How Simple Bonding Strengthen Family Bonds, Real Moments with My In-Laws

Hello everyone! This is my first post here in this Family&Friends community.

Today I’m excited to share a simple time with our family. Every first Sunday of the month, we have a special bonding with my husband’s family. It’s our little tradition and even if it’s simple, it brings us so much joy. This is also our way to spend time with our in-laws due to we are all busy in our daily lives, works and responsibilities, it’s our way of giving back a love and respect as they are very supportive to ours. We cook food, share stories, and enjoy each other’s company. It’s not just about eating – it’s about love, teamwork and happy memories. Everyone helps, from buying the ingredients to cooking, setting up the table and cleaning after. We do it all together, and that makes the day extra special.

This time, we decided to have a budol fight for lunch! Yes, that fun Filipino style way of eating together with bare hands on a table covered with banana leaves. We all got excited setting up the banana leaves on the long tables. Then, we placed all the food in the middle.

We had grilled fish like tilapya and catfish, Lumpia and fruits and of course lots of rice. Everything was prepared with love and you could really taste it in every bite.

When it was time to eat, we all washed our hands and gathered around the table. No spoons, no forks, just our clean hands and happy hearts. It was so fun! We were laughing, sharing jokes, and enjoying the moment.

After the budol fight lunch, we rested for a while. Some had a little nap, others had coffee, and the kids played around. It was a relaxing afternoon, and we enjoyed just being together.

In the evening, we prepared dinner again. This time, we just served the leftover food and cooked some extra rice. We had pancit bihon, adobong pato, chicken afritada and tinolang manok. We had buko and coffee jelly. We sat around, shared more stories and ended the day with full stomachs.

Even if our bonding was simple, it meant a lot. It’s not about how fancy the food or how big the celebration, it’s about being together, helping each other and creating happy memories as one family.

Of course, like other family, we have ups and downs. Sometimes we don’t agree, sometimes we make misunderstanding. But in days like this, we remember how blessed we are of having each other. We eat, we bond and everything feels okay again. This is a family reality. We choose peace and happiness because I believe we need to be model to our children, same with what our Mother-in-law and Father-in-law show love to us.

This simple Sunday bonding with my in-laws reminded me that happiness is not found in expensive things. It’s found in a table full of food, banana leaves and shared laughter. I’m thankful for this family for the love we share, and for the memories we make together every first Sunday of the month.

Thank you for reading and supporting my story! This is my owned picture captured by my phone brand Vivo and edited in Canva. I hope this reminds you to treasure the little moments with your family. 😍