The Tree of Life and The Gathering Table

It wasn’t until I was over fifty years old that I got my first—and only—tattoo.

It wasn’t even originally my idea.

My mom had planned to get a tattoo with my firstborn daughter, and I tagged along that day mostly as an observer. I wasn’t someone who had ever particularly wanted a tattoo. But when they asked if I was getting one too, I realized something surprising.

If I ever did get a tattoo, I knew exactly what it would be.

A tree of life.

Growing up in church, I had heard about the tree of life many times. It appears at the very beginning of the Bible in the garden of creation, and it appears again at the very end in the vision of restoration. It was always there in the story of faith I believed in. But if I’m honest, for many years I didn’t fully understand what it meant.

It was just… a symbol.

Then something unexpected happened in 2019.

Our family visited Disney World, and one day we walked into Animal Kingdom. It was never our favorite park. It didn’t have the same level of big attractions as the others, and we didn’t visit it very often.

But that day, as I walked toward the center of the park, I saw it.

The Tree of Life.

At first, it was simply impressive. Huge. Detailed. Beautifully carved. But as I walked closer and spent time there, something about it captured my attention in a deeper way.

The tree wasn’t just a decoration.

It was a place.

People gathered around it. Families rested in its shade. Paths curved around it. Every direction seemed to lead back to it in some way. And when you looked closely at the trunk, you could see hundreds of animals carved into its surface—each one different, each one belonging to the story of the whole.

Suddenly the symbol of the tree of life felt bigger than I had ever imagined.

It wasn’t just about eternal life or something abstract in the future.

It was about community.
About diversity.
About nourishment and belonging.

It was about a place where life gathers.

Standing there, I realized something quietly but clearly: this is what I want my life to be about.

This is the direction for how we are to live.

Years later, when I was working with a dear friend to build this business—the one who created the first website, took the first photographs, and truly felt like an instrument of God in helping this dream take shape—we began searching for the right name.

Names matter. They carry meaning.

And the name that kept rising to the surface was The Gathering Table.

At the time, it wasn’t meant to directly reference the tree of life. But when I picture what a gathering table truly is, the image in my mind always returns to that same idea.

A place where people come together.

A place where stories are shared.
Where celebrations happen.
Where memories are made.

A place where everyone brings something different, but everyone belongs.

In many ways, a gathering table and a tree of life carry the same spirit.

Both offer shade.
Both offer nourishment.
Both invite people to come close.

And both remind us that life is meant to be lived in community.

When I think about what we are building here—whether it’s a family celebrating a birthday, a couple beginning their marriage, photographers capturing meaningful moments, or children laughing during a spring photo session—I realize that what we are really creating are spaces for gathering.

Spaces where life is honored and remembered.

That is the heart behind this place.

It’s never been just about events, or photography sets, or beautiful spaces. Those are simply the tools.

The deeper purpose is creating places where people can gather, connect, celebrate, and remember what matters most.

When I look at the small tree of life tattoo on my arm now, it reminds me of that moment in Animal Kingdom when the symbol suddenly became real.

A tree.

A gathering place.

A living picture of community.

When I look around this property during a photo session or a celebration, I often see small glimpses of that same idea. People gathering. Stories being shared. Laughter echoing across the property. Moments that may seem small at the time, but become part of a family’s story for years to come.

This is exactly what I hope The Gathering Table will always be.