I’m in the middle of some last things, and it’s good. And hard. And good.
Last night we had high school graduation, and not only did my youngest kid graduate, but I was involved in my last grad ceremony. My responsibilities were varied, and some of them were a little scary. I read the names of the kids (and their parents) as they walked across the stage. I only messed up twice (a Hawai’ian middle name, which YIKES, and a bad page turn, where the pages stuck together and I read the wrong kid’s name. Ack).
People were gracious and lovely about how things went at graduation, and that was nice, too. Word is out that I’m done teaching: my little community has realized that I’m not going to be around to teach their kids. Kids are being gracious. Love notes are appearing everywhere — on my desk, on my car window, at my house.
And all my kids were home last night after the grad ceremony.
Do you know the song “Crowded Table” by The Highwomen? It sings my heart.
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 us 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
I love the image of an effort-and-consequence relationship build, and I love the crowded table idea. Yesterday my kitchen table was crowded. Joyously, noisly crowded. And that was delightful. And some things are last things, and some things last.