Also, while we were at the table, there was a ritual in our family: when something significant had happened for any one of us -- whether mom had just been elected as the president of the PTA, or whether dad had gotten an assignment at the college of our denomination, or whether someone had won the jabberwocky contest for talent -- the ritual at the family was, once the announcement is made, we must take five, ten minutes to do what we call "make over" that person -- that is, to make a fuss over the one who had been honored in some way.