January 26, 2026: The Crowded Table

Recently, for the first time, I heard Brandi Carlile's song, “Crowded Table.”

As I worked, it played in the background and the chorus grabbed my attention:

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

A crowded table is one of life’s greatest gifts. Coming home to people who are looking for you and folks who want to hear about your day. It’s a reset from all the stuff faced during daily obligations.

You could have every dollar on earth, but returning home to empty seats and silent rooms is the deepest kind of poverty.

Near the end of the song, another lyric got me, too:

The door is always open
Your picture's on my wall
Everyone's a little broken
And everyone belongs
Yeah, everyone belongs

Always choose full tables over treasure.