Hospitality is not only a gift I have but a gift I give. Be passionate about it!

You may ask, How can I be passionate about something I feel I am totally inept at? For some women like myself, hospitality is a natural as walking, not because I’m special or better than anyone else, but because I was taught it. For others, the practice must be consciously acquired. And for all of us, it must be cultivated. When used, it really can become a channel for some amazing experiences.  It’s actually very exciting when you can step outside of your fears of whatever is holding you back, and into this realm of putting others first.

I keep 3x5 index cards, bound by a rubber band; of all the guests we have had in our home. I now have fifteen years worth. I record the month/year and what I served. I occasionally thumb through these cards and reminisce. Not necessarily about the meal served, but about what happened around our table that night. Some couples are no longer married. It makes my husband and me wonder, what more could we have done? How could we have helped these people? Real, heart-felt, conversations and sometimes tears took place around the Coughlin dining table. Many times healing as well.

Opening our hearts and our homes is essential to hospitality. We each have a home – be it a small home, mid-sized home, or a mansion! And no matter what the size of our table or what food is served, bonding around that table and enjoying a meal makes people feel loved.

I never thought much about entertaining being different than hospitality, because I refer to both of these often on my blog. But searching deeper, there is a difference. Entertaining can be a burden when I carry around the feeling that I must impress others. Oops! That is hard to write because I’ve experienced it myself. In contrast, hospitality does not try to impress. When I practice hospitality, I find myself loving and serving and not even thinking about myself. How liberating that is when you grasp that concept!