Hospitality is... (linky Party)

Welcome!

Let's just pretend that we are enjoying a cup of tea. Just you and me. I may be squirming a bit, because I am ALWAYS talking...but I am really trying hard to become a better listener.

What is hospitality? Is it simply just as Webster defines it[noncount] 1 : generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests : hospitable treatment...or is there more to it than that?

In some cultures, it is offering your guest a drink, a place to sit, or something to eat. (Like Eileen Barton sang: If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake!)

Both my hubby and I grew up in "hospitality houses". Our homes were always filled with people. My family home was a home-away-from-home for military men and women overseas and my hubby's home was filled with, as he puts it, "strays"...people that he and his brother knew through school or work who were going through tough times and needed a place to stay.

In our home, my mom was always in the kitchen preparing for our family and guests. It was very structured due to the way the ministry operated. In hubby's home, they operated in a very casual way. You just helped yourself to whatever you needed.

Now that we have been married for 20 plus years, we have developed our own style of hospitality which is a blend of both of our families.

I still love the anticipation of having company and all the preparation involved, but I also want our guests to feel at home enough to where they grab whatever they need from the fridge without asking.

I look forward to sharing simple "hospitality" ideas with you and can't wait to hear your ideas and traditions you share with those whose lives you touch.



"THE ORNAMENTS OF A HOUSE ARE THE GUESTS THAT FREQUENT IT."

Now it is your turn. What does hospitality mean to you? Link up and share...anything hospitality...a recipe, something you do to make guests feel welcome, maybe it isn't even in your home!