Esther Ngumbi remembers a childhood in Kenya filled with an endless parade of unexpected guests. Guests who, much to young Esther's chagrin, always seemed to arrive right around mealtime. Her mother, Bertha, would inevitably invite them to eat, which meant less food for Esther and her four siblings. Because nothing says 'I love you' like sharing your sweet potato with a stranger.
The Uninvited Tea Party
Not only did Bertha share the family's dinner, but she also insisted on serving black tea to every single visitor, expected or not. Esther's sister, Faith, still recalls the sheer frustration of having to stop eating just to boil water for tea, especially when firewood was scarce or wet. Some guests, Faith suspected, were just taking advantage. Which, honestly, is a pretty reasonable suspicion when you're a hungry kid watching your dinner disappear.
Fast forward a few decades, and Esther is now an assistant professor in the U.S. And guess what? She's doing the exact same thing. Offering tea and food to unexpected visitors. She even feeds birds, much to her mother's bewilderment. Because apparently, the apple doesn't just fall from the tree, it starts scattering birdseed.
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Start Your News DetoxCurious about the origins of her mother's relentless generosity, Esther called Bertha. Turns out, it's a family tradition. Bertha grew up with eight siblings, and her own mother (Esther's grandmother) was just as generous, often giving away their lunch to passersby. Bertha remembered crying from hunger, or being sent to forage for bananas and sugarcane after their sweet potatoes had vanished. Yet, when there was enough, her mother fed everyone.
When Esther asked if Bertha knew her children resented her generosity, Bertha simply said no. She was just following her own mother's example, helping hungry or troubled families. And if she had known about the resentment? "I would never have changed," Bertha declared. "I would do it again and again."
So, the kindness that once annoyed a child is now shaping an adult, proving that some traditions are just too good — and too stubborn — to ever truly disappear. Even if they occasionally made you go to bed a little hungry.
