28 days...Hospitality

I love hospitality!  I love to receive hospitality.  I love to give hospitality.  I love to see hospitality in action.

That's an awful lot of hospitality in that there paragraph - probably more than most of you outside of the industry have seen in a while.

Dictionary.com defines it two ways:

Don't ya just love when a dictionary uses a form of the word to define that word?  Really very helpful, don't ya think? 

But even without definitions, hospitality is kind of like goodness - somewhat hard to define, but we know it when we see it.  It's what sets the really special restaurants or hotels or B&B's apart from the rest.  They all provide us food and drink or a bed, the services of the hospitatility industry, but some do something extra to make us feel like we matter - we really matter to their enterprise.  They look us in the eye...they smile more...they speak with us rather than to us...they go above and beyond to make something right...

It's the same when people entertain in their home.  I was listening to someone speak on this topic, and they made the statement that hospitality is becoming a lost art.  People meet in restaurants more and more rather than having folks in their homes.  I think I get what they mean, but it sorta makes me sad to think that might be the case.

But rather than focus on that, I would rather focus on those who practice hospitality well and be thankful for them. 

Like my sista, W.  She sets a serious standard of hospitality that is hard to beat.  And you don't want to beat it.  You simply want to appreciate that you're in her beautiful home, and she is serving you well - with china and crystal and linens, with good food and good conversation.  W not only owns Emily Post books, she lives them out.  Trust me, I may be tempted to ask someone about their eye patch, but I would never ask it at W's house.   

Like my cousin, S and his wife, N.  They hosted us for a couple of days in Fort Worth over the summer, and regaled us with stories and good food and sweet rest.

Like R&E and the boys.  E is raising two young boys, but she opens her home to us, and makes the arrangements so we can bunk in O's room whenever we are there.  I know this can't be easy on her, but she smiles and never makes us feel like she is put out.  R&E live out the idea of practicing hospitality without grumbling.

I could name lots more people who practice the art of hospitality towards me, and I love it!!!  So I know it is an art that hasn't died out yet!!  Let's not let it, ok?

I told y'all a couple of weeks back that some friends of ours would be going to Rigazzi's to celebrate birthdays together.  Well that didn't work out, so we had everyone to our place last night.  And that sorta started me thinking about that I'm thankful for hospitality - doing my best to help folks feel loved and welcome when they are in my home. 

Doing things like serving fresh baked chocolate chip cookies right from the oven.  It doesn't take long or a whole lot of extra effort to do so, but this here 81-year old beauty thinks there isn't any better dessert in the world than chocolate chip cookies, so what else could I do but serve them hot and melty?  This isn't the greatest pic, but she and G are "kindred spirits" when it comes to chocolate chip cookies.  If she can't eat all of them, she figures G eating them is a "good cause." 

Doing things like setting a pretty table.  I didn't say setting an expensive table, but setting a pretty table sets a tone of saying "Welcome!  We're glad you're here!"  This same sweet birthday girl gave me the Autumn table runner below as a birthday present along with her daughter.  They actually gave me two - this one and a Christmas one - made with love by C.  Chocolate chip cookie loving B told me whichever one I liked best was the one "she" gave me!  I told her it was this one....but it was hard to choose between them!  But I'm pretty sure this will make an appearance at the Morrison Family 4th Annual Pie Night.  And the Morrison Family 5th Annual Pie Night.  And the Morrison..oh, ok, you're right.  You get the idea.

 

Like lighting candles.  Like making coffee.  Like making tea.  Like turning off the TV.  Like turning on some music. Like planning a diabetic friendly, low-carb dinner, because your guests have some special needs.  Like trying to find that delicate balance between clean and lived in, so folks know that they don't have to sit proper and hold out their pinkies when they are with you.  Like trying to learn as much as you can about whoever comes into your home to help them know that they are loved and accepted and welcome.

And that you are thankful for them....that they matter...and you are thankful they are in your home.  I am thankful for opportunities to be hospitable and to receive it from others.

Oh, and for pie.  I'm always thankful for pie.