Happy Wednesday Friends! I still feel like I’m soaking in all the beautiful tablescapes from last weeks tour. Did you catch them all? I did a recap post on Sunday, just in case anyone missed a day. That way you can browse all the days in one easy spot. However last week I had the most amazing treat! Rachel from Maison De Pax and her adorable husband came for a visit! Well let me rewind. We had been chatting at Haven this past summer, and Rachel mentioned that they had always wanted to visit Boston. Well we are about an hour north of Boston, near the coast, and I told her if you ever book a trip, you have to stay with us! Now fast forward to this past week, and our sweet visit together! As much as I love hosting guests, it’s not always the easiest thing to do. For one reason, I know you all see a perfectly clean house here on the blog, but that is rarely the case. Especially during this time of the year. There are tiny bits of fall decor still out, while christmas decor gets scattered about. We have been hard at work on our shed, so our yard is in shambles. Not to mention just the business this season always brings for us. So when a blogger comes to visit you’d better believe there is some pressure on making sure your house is perfect! Never mind one that is staying with you, because you can’t just throw all your mess upstairs and pray they don’t want a tour of the bedrooms – HA! So while I was busy cleaning and preparing for our guests, and I’ll be open, there were moments of stress. I started to wonder why we put ourselves under so much pressure, because hosting guests is not supposed to be a stressful event. So why do I allow myself to get so flustered? I think it’s natural to want your house to be tidy before someone comes over. But if I only focus on making sure my home is spotless, I’m missing the point. Hosting isn’t about having people over in a perfect home, that’s perfectly clean, and your life is going perfect at that very moment. Are we willing to allow others in when it’s messy?
When life is stressful? When we are in the midst of chaos? When we choose to allow others in, in the midst of less that perfect circumstances, when it’s not the most convenient of times, we choose the blessing of hospitality and the richness of relationship that comes with it. I remember often as a kid our family would gather with other families, and share a meal. I think though we miss that connection of truly gathering with one another, because we let “Facebook” or social media be our connection. Why get together when we already know everything going on in our friends lives because of what we see online.
We don’ have a large home by any means, but we don’t have a small home either. For us hosting overnight guests means we do a bit of shuffling. We move our daughter into our sons room for a sleepover on the floor. We bring a spare bed up, and turn our daughters room into a guest room. This is something we’ve done quite a bit to make room for guests. In this process we teach our kids the gift of hospitality, and what it means to serve others, and sacrifice ourselves. We teach them how to make others feel welcome and at home, when they aren’t near the comforts of there own home. In the midst of my second day of cleaning, I paused for a moment and reflected on my motives. I was striving for perfection, and I didn’t need to be. I knew the Rachel and her husband wouldn’t care if I had everything perfectly clean and in place. I started thinking of how my guests would feel, and took my eyes off myself. I thought of them having a long weekend away from their three small children for the first time in who knows how long. 
What did I want them to feel in my home while they were here? What did I want them to take home with them from their visit with us? I wanted them to feel refreshed and be able to rest while they took a short break from life demands in their own home. I didn’t want the atmosphere in my home to be so perfect they didn’t feel invited in. I wanted the atmosphere in my home to be welcoming, and peaceful. And that is something that is more than just cleaning. There’s little touches like lighting a candle that fills our house with a sweet aroma when they come in. Fresh towels next to their bed. A tiny gift basket that makes them feel special. All these simple steps that say, “Welcome”! We’ve been planning and preparing for you. Come in and rest. Not only do you bless your guests, but you receive a blessing as well. The blessing of a friendship. Of sweet conversation over coffee. Of building relationship, and being blessed by each others company. Something that Facebook will never grasp. The next time you think to yourself you can’t host, or don’t have the space. I encourage you to push past the excuses, embrace hospitality, and welcome others in without reservation. I promise you will be richer person because of it, and I’m not talking about the money 🙂
So you may be wondering why I’ve included pictures of our dining room in this post? Well just before Rachel and her husband arrived, we knocked out a little project on our to-do list that I’ve been wanting to do for awhile. We’ve been updating our dining room, and I can’t wait to share the updates with all of you! We finished just before they arrived, so I haven’t taken any pictures yet, but the reveal is coming soon!
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Hi Bre! This post is amazing! I figured this all out when I was much younger and have so learned to enjoy the gift of hospitality. Even though I have people tell me that is a gift, there is still a learning curve. It has been lost in the newer generations and I so appreciate you sharing with others how important this is! I crave the days of getting together with other families. My kids are all grown, so we spend lots of time with our kids and grandkids now. Thanks for sharing!
LOVE Susan!!! You are exactly right 🙂 It is such a lost art, and I hope we realize it sooner rather than later 🙂 XO