Letter 161: Showing Up
When we know what's important
Happy 2026!
We’re so happy to have you back for another year of TLC! It’s hard to believe we’re entering our fifth year of publishing this Substack. Thank you for continuing to support our incredible writers with each new letter. We’re excited about what 2026 holds!
Today, one of our longtime contributors, Nadine, shares about a tradition I’ve long admired: Sunday Night Dinners with her close friends, every single week since 2009. It’s a beautiful testament to showing up for friendship, even when life gets complicated. I think you’ll love what she shares here, and maybe it’ll inspire you to start something similar. —Molly
It started with a reality show on TV that pitted teams against one another in a race around the world. In 2009, The Amazing Race was on Sunday nights, and each week, my friend Arlene and I would text throughout the show, commenting on the racers or questioning each other if we could or would be willing to do a particular challenge.
About a quarter of the way through that first season, we decided to watch together each week—in person, in the same room. And since we’re getting together, we may as well share dinner, too. Neither one of us thought we were starting something long-term. We simply thought it would be more fun to watch together for as long as it worked. Indeed, there were skeptics who questioned how realistic it was to commit to a weekly date.
At the time, our kids were either graduating from high school in a few months or about to in the next year. Colleges were selected, and the nests were about to empty. Things were changing in both our homes—routines, the number of people at dinner tables, the noise of teenagers. Because family time all together was diminishing, these weekly dinners made the transition easier by filling it with our “friends who are family.”
And then, we… kept going.
One season of The Amazing Race turned into two. Weekly dinners and a TV show suddenly became just what we did. The show eventually changed days or wrapped for the season, but dinner stuck. We got together every Sunday, the same core four people, the same start and end time, alternating houses each week.
Each week, the hosting family provides the meal and cleanup, always starting with an appetizer, then dinner, and finishing with dessert. We now record The Amazing Race when it’s on. (For context, when we started, one of us—ahem—was still using a VHS recorder to “tape” the show, and the other had a newfangled Tivo.)
If the show isn’t on, it doesn’t matter, as the motivation is about being together, whether we’re tired, happy, cranky, or simply dreading Monday morning. We show up and leave feeling glad we did.
We’ve swapped cars, diets, and furniture. But never the tradition.
Over sixteen years, these dinners have been a snapshot of our lives. We’ve met new boyfriends and girlfriends. We’ve buried parents. We’ve celebrated weddings. We’ve welcomed a granddaughter, watched the kids grow up and move out, and said goodbye to more than a few dogs who used to wait for someone to drop a morsel under the table. Some of us retired. Some of us are still figuring out what retirement may look like. We’ve swapped cars, diets, and furniture. But never the tradition. Our Sunday Night Dinner even preceded the Reagan’s family dinner in Blue Bloods.
During COVID, we got creative in keeping the tradition alive. During lockdown, we held Sunday Night Dinners over Zoom. Later, when restrictions were lifted, we sat at opposite ends of a ping-pong table in the garage, bundled in four layers of clothing and down jackets, with space heaters beneath the table, using blankets for tablecloths. Somehow, it was still cozy even when it was below freezing. And it worked because it wasn’t about the setting. It never was.
And, while we’ve shared some incredible meals, it wasn’t really about the food either. It was about the company; the act of gathering; the comfort of knowing that no matter how chaotic or (currently) surreal life feels, Sunday night is always a given. There’s something quietly powerful about a group of people who keep making time for each other week after week, and year after year. It not only makes the week so much easier, but it also makes our lives so much richer.
Sixteen years ago, we were just a group of friends looking for a way to watch a show together in person. And somehow, it turned into something lasting.
We’ll be together next Sunday at six o’clock sharp. There will be appetizers, even if it’s simply crackers and cheese. Someone will tell a story that takes three attempts to finish because we keep interrupting each other, or one of the dogs will need to go out. One of the kids or the grandchild will call or text just in time for dessert. And someone—probably all of us—will say, “And they said it wouldn’t last. Can you believe we’ve been doing this for SO many years?”
And then we’ll eat.
Nadine’s 5 Favorites for Sunday Night Dinner
The Amazing Race—where it all began. Even if you’re not a fan of reality TV, TAR is a fun way to see places around the world and decide if you would be willing to compete in any of the challenges.
Oyakodon—one of my favorite meals that Mike (from our Sunday Night Dinner foursome) makes. A popular Japanese comfort food, oyakodon is a “donburi” (rice bowl) with chicken and egg simmered in a savory-sweet broth (made with dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar) and served over rice. Get in my belly!
Torero’s Cocina Mexicana & Cantina—the group’s favorite restaurant when one of us doesn’t feel like cooking.
Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!—NPR’s comedy news quiz show. It’s the perfect length to listen to on the drive to SND.
Alone—a reality show on The History Channel that we watch when The Amazing Race isn't airing. Alone follows participants who are literally left alone in the wilderness in harsh conditions with nothing but a backpack, camera equipment, and their wits.
In gratitude,
Nadine Rosendin
P.S. Can you tell what an amazing friend Nadine is? She is a gift to those of us who count her among our people. She shared a beautiful piece about friendship in her 50s here: Letter 34: Chosen Family.
Beautifully written piece, Nadine. What a wonderful tradition. Loved the Blue Bloods reference (among many other things). Sooooo...when are you going to send in an audition video for The Amazing Race?