Let This Be A Lesson To Me

In the midst of the chaos of last week and this week, the costumes pieces piled on the couch waiting for me to finish sewing them, the unvacuumed floors, the dishes piled in the sink, the children unwashed and shrieking as they chase each other round the house, the dentist appointments rushed into and out of, providing food for two baby showers and two other events previously committed to (by my looney self), rehearsals for the recital, I have prayed for an eye in the storm, a time of calm to renew before jumping back into the craziness. It came in the form of company.

Friday, a friend brought her daughter and my sweet children decided that, as it was so close to her birthday, they would give her a tea party. They set a low table outside with a pretty scrap of fabric for a tablecloth, a mason jar filled with freshly picked flowers, Rose's little tea set and little cutlery. They cut out star-shaped tuna sandwiches, put deviled eggs on a plate, set out cookies and fruit and requested strawberry tea. My friend and I left them alone outside. We watched through the window. The hospitality they extended and the look a delicious pleasure on that little girl's face fills me up whenever I think about it.

Not long after they left, my neighbor popped by for some tea. We just happened to have some cookies leftover to sweeten her stay.

On Monday, another friend came by with her two sons. Edison showed them where to find snakes. St. George showed them the kittens. Rose helped the two year old onto and off of and onto and off of the tractors. They all ran and screamed and chased each other all afternoon. They rolled in the grass, they whacked trees with sticks, they played in water and got dirty. As they were leaving, my friend said, "We love coming out here. It's so relaxing."

It was. Each of those visits meant that I had to stop and sit down. Each of those visits meant that the children could go and run. We were all renewed. And the floors were unvacuumed, the dishes still in the sink all the while they were here!

Evidently, hospitality has less to do with mops and brooms and more to do with people. This is a good thing. I am not terribly skilled with a mop and broom, even on a good week. . .