Kathleen Norris, in Dakota, A Spiritual Geography, wrote: "True hospitality is marked by an open response to the dignity of each and every person. Henri Nouwen has described it as receiving the stranger on his own terms, and asserts that it can be offered only by those who have found the center of their lives in their own hearts."
Ever since spending four nights with Barbel, I have been reflecting on the art of hospitality.
When you ask your hostess for a recipe, as I have asked Barbel for her recipe for carrot and ginger soup, what you're really saying is, "I want to take this experience home with me. I want to treat myself as extravagantly as you are treating me in your home."
Or:
"What I'm having here is what I want more of."
While I am not a stranger--we have been friends for a decade--Nouwen's definition of hospitality is an apt description of visits in Barbel's colorful house: she takes all her guests on their own terms, which may be why she has a huge circle of diverse friends who love to visit.
Home cooked meals, taking guests to places that bring pleasure, lively conversation, and big hugs--these are some of the features that make a visit to a friend's house unforgettable.
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