Yesterday morning, our most recent guests left. I can still see my dear friend waving at me as they drove away, until I could see the last trace of their car. Although they were gone and there was a hole in my heart, they also left something very special with us. This summer, we have been privileged to have several friends stay with us over the past month as they were passing through our city or coming for an event that took place in our city. Usually, we often entertain with dinner parties and we host our church small group twice a month so cooking is not foreign to us but being hospitable for more than a week has been educational. It has made us think in new ways about our own lives. One of our guests commented that Benjamin Franklin said, “Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days,” but we tend to think of guests leaving a unique sweetness of life that ordinary days don’t have.

We thought about the gifts that guests might unknowingly bestow on us while having them with us:

Knowing that they were coming made us do some deep cleaning, cleaning out and get very organized with meals and routines. Not only did I level up with my planning, but also became more organized mentally. I cleaned out so that our home could be a relaxed space with little clutter but seeing the results created positive changes in me.

Having them be a part of your life and space and knowing that you are important enough to be a part of their lives takes a relationship to a better dimension. Calling a halt to your usual routine and just being in the moment with a special friend can be incredibly satisfying. Humans need each other and complete each other.
Interacting and reconnecting with friends in a more intimate way is restorative and a blessing to all. Social media creates a synthetic type of interaction and puts people and experiences at arm’s length. Although you share the joy with them, you really don’t because you aren’t actually there. The recent pandemic was more destructive of relationships than most of us will ever know because there was so much unnecessary separation. Even though we saw each other on zoom, we couldn’t touch each or sense each other. It just wasn’t the same.

Enjoying your own city and having them experience where you live and your world gives new insights about each other to them and you. One guest remarked that we were so fortunate to have professional sports in our town because his city didn’t have any. When we attended a baseball game with him, we were reminded of the fun vibe of the crowd and the area around the stadium. We also have just off Broadway plays in our city but sometimes, we have to become re-acquainted with our own sphere to recognize its treasure.

Finally, there is the joy of serving the ones you love and extending hospitality. Making comfort food, putting special soaps in the bathroom or extra soft linens on their bed when they have made the effort to travel to see you brings beauty, purpose and happiness to you both. This is the best gift of all.

To invite a person to your house is to take charge of his happiness as long as he be beneath your roof. – Anthelme Brillat-Savarin