Where did the term table leaf come from? (Probably from the same people who decided to call the moving parts on clocks HANDS.) Leaf seems like an odd term for a section of furniture.

I thought about this over the weekend as I’ve been gearing up for our traditional family feast at my sister’s.

She’s been hosting Thanksgiving for forever, it seems. I know I can count on champagne and a beautiful cheese plate to greet me, a wonderful (probably free-range) turkey and sometimes a goose – with blackberry cornbread stuffing, and a wide variety of homemade breads and savory scones she has baked and been packing away in the freezer for weeks.

She’ll often finish the meal with seven or eight desserts that would put most country club sweet tables to shame.

What I can’t count on is the guest list. Over the years, I remember coming over to her house during the week and helping her iron tablecloths and napkins. I could find myself spay-starching and pressing linens for eight or twenty-four.

I am grateful for the care and attention she gives to the dishes she prepares. I am grateful for my good fortune to able to enjoy the abundance such a special meal represents. But I’m really grateful for the EXPANDABLE nature of her table and what it helps me remember and reflect on.

I did a little research on table leaves over the weekend. There are butterfly leaves, which are uniform sections that can be added to the middle of a rectangular or oval table, preserving the table’s shape.

There are drop leaf tables, which are good for small spaces. There are tables where the leaves are self-storing. Extra sections pull out from either end and can be slid back underneath the main section when a smaller surface is all that’s needed.

Even round tables can be fitted with concentric leaves. Sections can be added to the edge of the existing circumference, enabling a table that would normally sit eight to accommodate ten or more.

Some years, only immediate family ended up sitting around our Thanksgiving table. Because our family is small and Barb’s enjoyment in preparing a meal is great, we’ll often adopt what she would refer to as Thanksgiving Orphans, friends who don’t have family nearby or aren’t part of another tradition.

I have a few friends I invite every year and my sister and brother-in-law might invite former co-workers or neighbors that would not otherwise have plans.

I think I like this part of the tradition most of all. Adding leaves to the main table or bringing card tables up from the basement, dressing them in linen and topping them with silverware.

I like the idea of expandable tables.

I like the idea of being with people that always think they can make room for an extra person or two around their table. I’m sure it reflects a greater intention of mine; to spend time among people who want to share – their food or stories; their lives.

Whether you have a little food or a lot, making room at your table for an extra person is no small thing.