The term hospitality has been widely used for many years. It is defined as the positive treatment of guests and visitors, in a home, work or many other situations. There is a historical aspect of the term hospitality, which goes back to ancient times. In southwest France, in the town of Montignac-Lascaux, the Lascaux caves were originally created to accommodate members of other tribes when they visited the area. (https://hoteltechreport.com/news/modern-history-hospitality-industry)

Another example is how Greek and Roman spas were popular for anyone seeking rest and relaxation. These types of examples can take us to any port of the world in ancient times, when special places were created to host visitors or for those needing a sabbatical or a sense of otium.

In today’s society, hospitality has very broad fields that fall under this service industry. These include food and lodging services, event planning, theme parks and travel and tourism. It includes hotels, tourism agencies, restaurants and bars, hair and cosmetology services as well as many health and therapeutic services.

If we set aside the idea of hospitality as a service though, this ancient concept can begin to explain how our lives utilize this idea as a way of living a better, more fulfilling personal life.

Hospitality as a personal concept is described as how we offer our presence and attention to the people we are with. Our families, friends and coworkers. It is giving of our presence and of ourselves.

During the pandemic, we saw first hand how our lives all came to a complete stop. Though some individuals found time to binge on social media or their favorite movies or shows, many others’ focus became their families and friends. Their jobs and the craziness of everyday routines were disrupted and were no longer a priority. We were all forced to reevaluate what was most important in our lives. We picked up the guitars and instruments we had not touched in years. We began to paint and draw again. Dusting off our cookbooks and trying new things was a joy again. We began to enjoy doing outdoor activities with our family and friends…like sports, hiking, camping and boating again. All things we set by the wayside because of technology, work or other non essential responsibilities.

In the meantime, many wonderful people gave of themselves to help heal others during this trying time. This is how we came to realize the vitality of home and medical care workers, first responders and those who protect and serve. 

Some may also know of the story of Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, the man Jesus raised from the dead. When Jesus came to visit them, Martha worked very hard to attend to their guests while Mary sat and listened and conversed with Jesus. Martha was upset that Mary wasn’t doing anything, but she was assured that while all of the things she is doing may seem important, they are not the most important thing. The moral of the story is that while paying attention to other things may seem important, sometimes we need to understand that there are more important things we need to attend to in our lives. This being where we put our priorities, in whom or what we serve. 

Giving of our time and appreciation is what hospitality is all about. Showing others that we care. That we have compassion and love. It is also giving to others, who may not realize they need it, the chance to be administered to. 

When we give our time and our presence, we put away the things that distract us so that we can see and pay attention to the things that should truly matter in our lives here on earth.

A wise person once told me that in order to administer to others, you must be administered to. Though I have discovered that when we freely give of ourselves to others, we automatically receive two-fold in more ways than we can ever imagine.