As a child I was very influenced by my Grandmother and my aunts who were all very intentional about hospitality. When my Grandmother was expecting guests, she went all out. She cleaned her whole house, changed all of the bedding, planned the menu and cooked some special treats. She grew roses in her yard and regularly had fresh flowers throughout her home. She was of little means and yet she made you feel like a very special guest. She always had our favorite treats on hand and went out of her way to insure that our needs and wants were taken care of. She did this by planning ahead. She was on a fixed income but managed to set aside a little, to always create a spirit of hospitality for her guests and family. She passed these qualities on to her daughters. I remember always feeling so excited to spend time with Nan, there were gallons of sweet tea, good conversation and plenty of card games. I have passed these qualities on to my children and hope to also pass them onto my grandchildren.
As you begin to increase your abilities in the area of hospitality, I encourage you to think back to a time when you felt like a special guest, and walked away from a table feeling joy and satisfaction. What things would you point to as having made you feel that way? Those are the things that you should bring to your table!