Mar18

reweaving.

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in recent days

i have seen and read about

 many gestures of hospitality

 one reaching out to another

 with each act

i find a renewed sense of hope.

—

“hospitality is always an act that benefits the host even more than the guest. the concept of hospitality arose in ancient times when the reciprocity was easier to see: in nomadic cultures, the food and shelter one gave to a stranger yesterday is the food and shelter one hopes to receive from a stranger tomorrow. by offering hospitality, one participates in the endless reweaving of a social fabric on which all can depend – thus the gift of sustenance for the guest becomes a gift of hope for the host.”

-parker j. palmer

 

48 responses »

  4. Around here people are offering to shop for the elderly on NEXTDOOR. One person said she was disabled and out of toilet paper and the offers to bring her rolls rolled in (pardon the bun..I mean pun 😉) There are GOOD, GOOD people in this world..

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  13. I think so much good will come of this in the aftermath. I pray our restaurants can hold on with no business through the next few months, because there will be a lot of celebrating when this has passed. Keep posting the happy things, Beth!

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  20. For once I disagree. I never, ever would offer anybody anything with the idea it has to be reciprocal. I don’t know about the ‘gift of hope for the host’. If I do something for somebody, I do it because it’s my way of doing something, because it’s right and I need to do it. And I wouldn’t want to have it any other way.

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    • i interpreted it to mean that ‘we are all in this together’ and in the giving the host receives a gift of hope from seeing it helping someone else. all is not a lost cause. there is never an expectation of reciprocation, only that they know that people are good and have the belief that others might help them in their own time of need. a comfort for all.

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  21. I love this, Beth! I’m actually writing a paper on hospitality for school right now. So this is a topic fresh on my mind, intensified by the COVID-19 situation. I’d never thought about the host being hosted or having benefit before this class, so thanks for reinforcing what I’m discovering. These are times for us to get more creative about hospitality. We need connection now more than ever, yet we can’t in traditional fashion….hugs to you and yours. ~Zoe

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