[FESTIVAL] What I enjoy most about being a Host?

[Quincy]

This article is part of the Community Center's Festival of Hospitality 2022. The original  topic  was posted in the Spanish-speaking Community Center by @Francisco-and-Yajaira-Ho0 and we have translated it below.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What I enjoy most about being a host

Hospitality is a natural quality that we've all experienced at some point in our lives and which for some people has turned into a path of no return. That's where hosts are born. Those of us who not only open the doors of our homes to hundreds of strangers from any country, race, religion, or preference, but who also put our hearts into every visit and - without a second thought - happily engage in all the issues that help bolster our community. 

It's beautiful to see that hospitality has become the foundation of many countries' economies and that, as a result, countless people have improved their quality of life.

A kind word, a gesture of generosity, appreciation, and genuine acceptance is sometimes all we need to recharge our batteries and keep going.

In the darkest days of the pandemic, we were lucky enough to host an elderly foreign couple who were stranded in our country for more than a month. At the time, our top priority was to protect them and know that they were safe and sound. Meanwhile, we received messages from lots of visitors who wanted to know that we were OK.

That's what I enjoy most about being a host, seeing the relaxed smile or relief on my visitors' faces, the desire to stay when it's time to go home, or the shift from being a visitor to being a friend. More than a quality, hospitality is about experiences. It's a magnificent gift that remains in the hearts of those who give it and receive it.

Have you ever felt that the more you give, the more you receive? 

[Laurelle3]

@Francisco-and-Yajaira-Ho0 thank you for your expression of enjoying hosting. Yes I think hospitality is in the blood and if your family had an open house to receive guests and family.

I think my nursing and scouting life has allowed many races, cultures and language has allows me to have an open mindness and an oportunity to start hosting. Fortunately, because of my nurturing nature I am prepared to give than receive but sometimes there is an unexpected surprise  returned.

Keep up your style of hosting as it is unique to you and your way of life 🌻

[Bridget130]

@Francisco-and-Yajaira-Ho0 thats the real spirit !