Tea and Hospitality

 We really enjoy tea at our house, so our daughter was delighted to find a tea set just her size under the Christmas tree this year. It has been so fun to see her sense of hospitality grow as she pours and serves (imaginary) tea to her little friends (and adult-sized friends as well). I found the (Moroccan?) tea pot at a the little Episcopal thrift store down the street. It has an inscription in what appears to be Arabic on the bottom--makes it feel a bit exotic, like it has exciting stories from far away lands to share with the drinkers of it's tea. And the little white mugs were also a thrift store find--rather breakable, but such a perfect size for an almost two year old and her teddies. The little friends in this photo were all very special Christmas gifts.

"Amish Girl" is a sweet handmade doll from Theo's Character Dolls in Maine, a gift from my husband's Aunt.

The little teddy in the overstuffed chair (a gift from our neighbors) is wearing a sweater knit by a very sweet Aunty, and the teddy on the right is from my grandfather--made in the style of the first teddies. My grandfather tells me he still has one of the originals given to him as a young child--over 80 years old. Very treasured friends indeed!

This morning we visited friends who treated us to a delicious home-cooked lunch, and then this afternoon we brought a batch of enchiladas to a family with a brand new baby. Hospitality is so nourishing for our souls--I'm grateful to have the opportunity to both give and receive this great blessing, and to include my daughter in the process.  To share our lives, our time, our work, food, and compassion with other human beings seems a small and simple thing. But maybe these small acts and attitudes, when added up, have the power to heal our communities on a grand scale.

A wonderful mentor friend of mine has shared a lovely story of hospitality in Kenya on The Africa Fund blog.We can learn so much about taking time to tend to one another from other cultures. May we all remember to slow down and reach out in this coming year.