The Virtue of Hospitality
“ a dear friend went home to be with the Lord recently.
Dottie Wicker’s “glass door welcomed any visitor with time for a chat. Toys lined the floor for the broods that accompanied young moms willing to stop by and receive a dash of sunshine in her living room. Dottie had a lovely set of silver containers on the front table in her modest dining room. What would an eighty- year-old woman hide in those treasured keepsakes? Hershey’s Kissesa promised treat for any little visitor (and sometimes their mothers). She expected visiting children to follow just two rules at her house: stay out of the formal living room and collect their Kisses on the way out. She wanted them close to her on their visits, not rummaging through the candy jar.
I hope to grow old as gracefully as my lovely neighbor did.
With her other-centeredness, Dottie exemplified the heart of hospitality. She welcomed me, a stranger, into her home and we sat on her couch getting to know each other, watching my kids politely scamper through her toys. Dottie’s grandchildren lived in Baltimore. Those toys were for guests. Her house was warm but not fancy. There wasn’t food, but conversation flowed. She never burdened; she always loved
our sweet Dottie was teaching about her favorite subject: hospitality. It isn’t just a word, a gift or an act. It’s a lifestyle. And it might be what life’s all about.
Something along the lines of loving ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”
Excerpted from Cleaning House by Kay Wills Wyma
Daily Reflection: How can I better live the virtue of hospitality every day?