One More Day...

One more day to prepare for the party. Have to buy hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, the boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are on sale at our local grocer for $1.88 a pound (!), peppers of different colors, the veggie tray, and the strawberries at Sam's Club, plastic table cloths, pick up the borrowed tables and chairs, finish gluing the photos on the picture boards, get the other groceries (including coffee which we are completely out of and I forgot to get it yesterday!!!), pick up Jim at camp, make brownies and rice krispie treats, hard boil the eggs for deviled eggs, maybe make the cookies if Anne is still sick, pull out that big weed that's still sitting in my garden, last minute dusting and bathroom cleaning....and everything else I'm forgetting at the moment.

But what I want to stay focused on is the fact that this is a celebration of my son John's achievement in graduating from high school and an honoring of his life as he embarks into adulthood. I want him to enjoy himself tomorrow and have fun with his friends and ours. And I want all our guests to feel welcome and loved and cared for. Really, it seems to me that hospitality can be a demonstration of charity.

The above plaque is on the wall above the entry to our eating area and kitchen. Welcoming people into my home is not about how good the house looks or how tasty the food is. It's about honoring each guest as the son or daughter of God. It's about reaching out to them in interest and making them feel comfortable. May each of them know that the sentiment expressed on the plaque is true. In spite of the stress of preparing, especially for a big party like this, I really love having people over. I enjoy sharing my home and food and family. And let's not forget that in doing so, some have entertained "angels in disguise."

I'll let you know how it goes. Wish you could all come. (And if I have any readers nearby who know me, by all means, come on by!!)