Extending hospitality

Here's some context to yesterday's enigmatic post: I had just come home from a good friend's mother's funeral and I guess I had these thoughts and emotions running through me.  She passed away after a long battle with cancer.   

My friend's mom was an awesome woman.  I'm so blessed to have known her and I'm really grateful that I've had a chance to get to know the families of my good friends, and that they've been able to connect with my family.  There's just a deeper understanding you gain about people when you get to know their families. 

Some of the thoughts shared about my friend's mom at her funeral were in regard to her hospitable spirit and care for others.  I've definitely been a recipient of her hospitality and care.  In college she gave me a pair of really warm socks and a bottle of floral-scented lotion for Christmas.  I still wear the socks around the house when it gets cold.  And more recently I had the rare opportunity to see her at her home a week before her passing.  Even in her very weakened state, she asked if I'd been offered something to eat.  I also noticed how decorated the house looked for Halloween and the fall season.

The priest who presided over the funeral likened my friend's mom to Martha in the Bible.  Martha was a close friend of Jesus' and one of those women who never stopped working to keep the house in order.  She was like the friend who would let you crash at her house whenever you were in town, and one of those people who kept extra toothbrushes and toiletries around for guests just in case (I have some friends like that, and my old roommate and I have housed our many traveling friends--it's great to have friends who feed you and let you crash on their couch).  She was the kind of woman who would cook lots of good food for lots of people and open up her home to anyone in the community.  Her home was a hub for the community to come gather and connect.

There's just something so subtle yet artful in being able to welcome people into your home, offer a warm meal or a cool drink, and pass on a spirit of hospitality and care.  I'm grateful for this woman, and the many other friends, mentors, and family members who have not only shown me their hospitality and care, but have taught me how to pass these things onto others.