Thursday, August 6, 2026

Crowded Table

 

This photo was taken on our last night in Lodwar, gathered outside Veronica's home. We pulled the table out into the yard and made room for everyone to come together. Veronica invited several of the alumni, along with the staff, to share one last meal together. My friend Joshua Ewoi gave me a lesson in making chapatis, while Ratnakar and Saroja prepared a delicious Indian meal for everyone.  It was a memorable feast—not only because it brought us all around one table, but also because many of our Kenyan friends don't typically cook with so many spices. Ratnakar's curry was delicious, though it definitely introduced a few of them to a whole new level of heat!

As I raised a toast, I found myself celebrating something far deeper than the meal itself. For the past 32 years, this place has become a second home because of the love, the relationships, and the gift of "with-ing"—of coming alongside one another and sharing our lives. It was a beautiful moment to name the deep connection that has been woven through these years together. I left the table filled with gratitude for a place that has taught me, again and again, that we belong to one another. 

You can hold my hand when you need to let go
I can be your mountain when you're feeling valley-low
I can be your streetlight showing you the way home
You can hold my hand when you need to let go
I want a house with a crowded table
And a place by the fire for everyone
Let's take on the world while we're young and able
And bring us back together when the day is done
If we want a garden, we're gonna have to sow the seed
Plant a little happiness, let the roots run deep
If it's love that we give then it's love that we reap
If we want a garden, we're gonna have to sow the seed
Yeah, I want a house with a crowded table
And a place by the fire for everyone
Let us take on the world while we're young and able
And bring us back together when the day is done
The door is always open
Your picture's on my wall
Everyone's a little broken
And everyone belongs
Yeah, everyone belongs
I want a house with a crowded table
And a place by the fire for everyone
Let us take on the world while we're young and able
And bring us back together when the day is done
And bring us back together when the day is done
Songwriters: Lori Mckenna, Natalie Nicole Hemby, Brandi Marie Carlile. 




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