Beauty 365 … Stories of Love and Life for Everyday
Lock-down journey Day 46…Gearing up for guests.
I am good at seeing things that should be done, retrospectively. One of the things I wish we had done when we got married 27 years ago, was have a guest book for our home. I would love to have a record of all the people who have sat at our table for a meal. I honestly think it would be over a thousand!
I don't have a good memory. I have even bumped into people who reportedly stayed with us while we lived in Rome, and I have no recollection. The kids were cute during that period. They couldn't understand why we hadn't invited the pope to dinner.
One time, and this is true, during World Youth Day in Sydney, we had 80 visitors to the house on one day, and 50 of them stayed for dinner! Now that really was the miracle if the loaves and fishes!
Sometimes I feel exhausted just in the reminiscence of all the entertaining we have done. and more than once, I vowed never to have another guest. I remember on one occasion hosting a bishop and 8 youth leaders. With four littlies under my feet and my husband unavailable for the preparations, I was stretched to the max. The kids tried to be welcoming and took the guests on a tour of the house. They opened our bedroom cupboard. “This is where Mum stuffed everything before you came.” Thanks kids!!
Day 46 around our dinner table we were all lamenting our lack of guests. 46 days around our table, with no-one else but us. So strange! The children began compiling a list of ‘must have’ guests as soon as the lock-down ends. And it's a long list! While I’m looking forward to guests as much as they are, I’m also going to treasure these last days alone, just us.
