Invitation #1: Keep Your Table Set
I wanted to share the first invitation (or chapter) of my book, Simple Hospitality: An Invitation to Add Kindness to Your Everyday Life to give you a sneak peek of what my book is about. I hope you enjoy!!
What do you see when you gaze at your dining room table? I see a blank canvas, ready to paint beautiful moments with friends and family. I see an opportunity to bless neighbors and friends. I see a joyful celebration, and you, dear friend, are invited to the festivities!
“Setting a beautiful table often expresses more love to the family and guests than the food we are about to eat. It shows thoughtfulness and care and attention to details. The simplest meal can be executed with artistry.”
Keep your table always ready for more than a meal. Keep it set and ready for a delightful moment. After forty years of setting my table, I have gathered a collection of plates, napkins, table runners, and antique silverware, but more than that, I have collected memories that fill my heart with joy.
“Cooking and setting a pretty table makes me feel like I have something to give, something that makes life a little sweeter for other people so that every day wouldn’t be like every other.”
I am offering that same delight to you with this idea. Whether you are moving into your first apartment, building your family home, or downsizing to a condo at the beach, keep your table always prepared for an unexpected gathering. Your table is an outward display of an inward heart of hospitality. It doesn’t take that much to create a beautiful tablescape. No one is impressed by how fancy things are. They will remember how it felt to be there and how nice it was to be invited. The true focus of hospitality is about serving people and making them feel comfortable.
“Hospitality” can be defined in many ways, but I define it as “making people feel cared for.” Setting your table is one way to prepare to care for those in your life. Anyone who comes into your home is invited to sit down and relax, to laugh and smile, to eat a meal that has been prepared with love. It is excitement on display!
And for me, it is pure joy! I set my table for each season, holiday, or special occasion as a way to look forward to the upcoming fun we will have around the table. I may not know who will walk through the door during a particular season, but I know that I am ready to welcome them. I want to inspire you to welcome others to your table. If you are prepared, there’s a better chance of that happening. I recently ran into a friend whom I had not seen in years. As we caught up, she said, “I have to tell you something. The first time I was in your home fifteen years ago, I noticed your table, beautifully set for Easter. That day was weeks away, but I was overwhelmed by how lovingly it was set.” Of course, I appreciated the compliment, but her next remarks were even more important. “I now keep my own table set because of the impression you made on me so many years ago.”
One of our daughters, Betsy, calls the table “Party ready,” and I agree! If you are ready for a party, guess what? You just might host a party any day of the week. Preparing your table is more than an act of decorating for the season. It is preparing your heart to be ready to show hospitality to anyone who walks through your door. Don’t just prepare for company. Show your own family they are worth “fussing over,” too! Author Rebecca Waters has quoted her mother as saying, “Treat your company like family and your family like company.” I like that!
I’ve always loved to decorate tables. You can see and appreciate beauty in simple things and have unforgettable memories around the table with friends and family. I’ve always thought of it as a blank canvas where you create something out of nothing, using what you have. Walk out into your yard and see what nature has to offer that day. It can be different each time. I love the saying by Sir Thomas Browne: “Nature is the art of God.”
When I think about using what I have to show hospitality, I recall my college dorm room. I loved fixing coffee or tea in my portable hot pot or serving a package of instant soup and crackers for a friend. It doesn’t sound like much, but it truly was what I had. It wasn’t about the food or that small room that I shared with my roommate. It was about creating a welcoming atmosphere.
When my husband, Scott, and I married, we had a one-bedroom apartment, and we invited a few friends to our new home. Next, it was a townhouse, then a duplex, then a 'real' house. Now, we are enjoying our home on the lake. I love the quote by Socrates: “Contentment is natural wealth.” And in each place we've lived, I've found rich contentment in sharing what we have with others.