"He comes as a guest to the feast of existence, and knows that what matters is not how much he inherits but how he behaves at the feast, and what people remember and love him for."-- Boris Pasternak, To Friends East and West

Never before in human history have so many of us luxuriated in pleasures once reserved only for royalty. Think of the comforts, the conveniences, the travel, the leisure we enjoy. Yet even with this abundance, we are anxious, confused, and full of dread. Dwight Currie asks the question, What's the problem?

How We Behave at the Feast is a wise and wonderful invitation to celebrate at the great feast of existence called life. Using seasons, holidays, folklore, and cultural events, Currie serves up an entire feast of wit and wisdom that touches the heart and challenges the intellect with gentle humor an original insight.

These fifty-two reflections serve as both guide and companion in a yearlong exploration of all the bounty life has to offer. January advances the notion that life is a banquet. February explores who is invited. March focuses on what we are served in life, and April reminds us that we are all April fools. May deals with our station in life; June with our response to that lot. July is about knowing how and when to say no, and August is for those times when solitude is the goal. September extols the dignity of work, October covers harvest. November is about gratitude and grace, and December's theme is acceptance.

Each passage serves as a reminder, a suggestion, a warning, or a reprimand that "of all the pleasures we enjoy, our greatest luxury is the freedom to choose. We have a choice about how we behave, and that means we have the choice to opt for civility and grace."

Think of these pieces as table manners for the soul.