Entertaining

I have a new philosophy regarding entertaining. The philosophy is this: Bless People.

I needed to come up with a philosophy because I’m definitely NOT one of those really together people. I’m one of the vast majority of people who tends to feel a bit sheepish around the really together ones.

I used to get uptight when I’d have people over. Everything had to be as close to perfect as I could possibly make it.

But then during my 6 year sojourn of being a single mom I met Paula. Paula was a single mom of sons like me and we became good friends. Paula & her sons lived with her parents. Paula loved to have people over for a meal to hang out , relax and enjoy. Their house wasn’t always perfect; sometimes I’d see cobwebs, or the bathroom wasn’t all that clean, or there’d even be dirty dishes in the sink. But everyone always loved going to their house. One day I asked myself why and the answer came back at various levels. At one level it was because the food was always good and the atmosphere friendly. At another level it was because it was a safe place; at Paula’s house you could be whoever you are and you would be accepted and cared about.

As I thought about it I realized that life is busy and rushed and it’s a blessing for someone to come over and relax and not have to fix their own meal or clean up. Me not stressing about everything being perfect creates a relaxed atmosphere in our home that people pick up on. I also thought about it; if my house isn’t all that big or rich or perfect – people get to feel better than me instead of intimidated by me. I want to make the people who come into my home feel special. I want to fix food that I know they will like but that I can fix a large portion of before they ever get there. That way I can focus on them and enjoy their company when they are there. I can listen to them. Make them the center of my attention and ensure that they are introduced to, and feel comfortable with at least some of the other people who are there.

I’ve been in my current marriage 2 years. We bought our current house together in a small town that is new for both of us almost a year ago If I had to say, I’d classify myself as an introvert But I do like people.

This past Sunday was my husband’s birthday and I invited our neighbors (on either side as well as across the street) and family to our house for a casual BBQ. We ended up with 26 adults & children and 3 babies. It was bliss to realize that I wasn’t all uptight! Instead I enjoyed the people there and made sure that everyone was introduced to everyone else. I spent time really visiting with everyone. I ensured that people interacted with each other and that everyone had someone with whom they could visit. By the end of the day it was obvious that everyone had enjoyed the event.

This philosophy seems to be working for me. I’ll provide an update on how it continues to work in a couple of weeks. We’ve invited a single mom and her teenage son over after church for lunch on the Sunday after next.

If you'd like to reach out to others in hospitality but could use some help with the how-to, sign up below for the mailer "Eight steps to Easy Entertaining". Please note that your email will only be used for this specific mailer.