People

     As hospitable Lumiere says in Beauty and the Beast,

Ma cherie Mademoiselle,
It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure
That we welcome you tonight.
And now, we invite you to relax,
Let us pull up a chair
As the dining room proudly presents -
Your dinner!

     One of the best ways to make our homes cozy is filling them with people. Fellowship opens so many doors, and hospitality is a beautiful gift to give our families and others.

     My favorite thing is when our home has two very different groups overlapping. For example:

...if a neighbor kid is over and my cousins happen to stop by
...if we're hosting a sleepover and a neighbor brings a piece of mail over
...if our church friends are dropping something off while we're taking care of little kids

     But that's just my preference. My house will probably be "the hangout house" one day. :)

     Facilitating groups of people may seem daunting, so here are a few tips:

• Don't worry about what your home looks like (even when people drop in unexpectedly)
• Vary your groups: friends, family, and strangers are all welcome
• If you're a dependent teen like me, don't shut people out. Community is beautiful!
• Don't expect it to be perfect.
• You are the hostess (or host), but you can talk to people too. Get out of the kitchen and focus on the people.

     Let there be food and fellowship!

     Action point: Take some time to have someone over.

~Madeline

This post is part of my 31 Ways to Cozy Up Your Space series.