I don't know where I picked that up - but it made me think - "what do I mean by that?" Well, we always want our guests to "make themselves at home". We want them to be comfortable with us. So, we make sure our home looks like we prepared for their visit, and that we did a few special things to show them they are an important part of our lives.
It's a little balancing act for me. I want it to be special, but I don't want them to feel like I just worked so hard that I dread having guests! Whew! I always want to be like that little duckie, who is unruffled and calm on top of the water, but those little feet are just paddling fast as they can underneath!
But if we want to make them feel like family, that means we also have to allow the rough and tumble of daily family life to continue, to some extent. OK, here's how I see it: Guests are just with us for short periods of time. Possibly just for dinner, or a girlfriend get-together, or a weekend.
While they are here, we do interrupt some of our daily routine, but not all of it. We allow them into our lives - while at the same time we do something special with them. We prepare ahead of time, so that we really can spend special time with them.We add special touches - possibly fresh flowers to welcome them at our front door, or a small vase of flowers in the guest bedroom. After our preparations (possibly a lasagna ready in the refrigerator) then, we relax and enjoy their company! I welcome your thoughts on this topic - how do you make your guests feel like family?
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