Hungry for a Crowded Table

I've heard that it is one of the products of the pandemic. I believe it is a contributor, but there is a much larger narrative. We don't gather anymore. People's lives are busy with work, kids, & kids' activities. I feels like lives are more siloed, family is sprawled &/or wounded, and most of are days are alone. We work remotely, we drive through the car line by ourselves without stopping to chat with other parents, we have our groceries and shopping items delivered to our front door, and then we come home and close our garage and stand behind our tall fences. We don't invite people over. We have gotten out of practice on how to do small talk. It can feel vulnerable and socially exhausting, but since we don't, we suffer in silence. Our mental health is poor. We drown in the daily grind of child rearing and work, but we go to bed each night and wake to do it all over again. My soul's desire is to have deep, meaningful, authenthic, loving & encouraging relationships. I want a crowded table. I want to sit on a front porch swing and chat with passers-by and have them join me for a chat. Part of the reason for this deep desire, I'm sure, is because of my wiring but another is I didn't have that growing up with my family. I felt lonely often. So I sought out friendships. My friends became like family to me. I never felt fully seen and accepted by my family, so I have sought out connection with friends and strived to provide a safe space for others. I want to be hospitality - not the perfectly currated meal hospitality, but the welcoming door and cozy seat by the firepit.