Ivan Illich
Offering hospitality doesn’t just happen when someone comes to my house, although that is how I typically think of it. Today I saw it a different way when I visited my 96 year old friend Jo who is just settling into her new home, a nursing home. She cannot cross the threshold to my home, but I can make the step over to hers. She can offer me hospitality, and as she does so, I can reciprocate.
This morning my hospitality was to check out her new surroundings and to rejoice in them: a bed by the window, cheerful helpers, new activities. It wasn’t much, because let’s face it, Jo would rather be in her own home, making her own decisions, surrounded by her own things. The good news is that her dog Daisy can come to call, which she did on Sunday, jumping onto Jo’s lap and staying there the entire visit. Reciprocal hospitality at its best.