Last Thursday night I did something that I have been nervous about for 6 years. I hosted our Laughing Ladies Book Club at my house. Now I wonder why I was so self conscious about it and hadn't done it in the past!
We rotate our book club from member to member each month and in the past 6 years we have gone to almost everyone elses home except a few of us. And these homes are stunning! We have three that were built by the owners and reflect the taste and care of handcrafted work, one that was built by another members family, a beautiful cabin in the woods, another who just bought the nicest foreclosed home, and others who just have a great sense of style.
I felt house intimidated. I felt life intimidated.
My home is very small (under 800 sq. ft.) and is over 100 years old. It was a cottage in the woods built by an Ozark man - rustic is putting it mildly. We have not had the money to do all of the work and have to do it in very small pieces, $100 - $300 here and there.
I love our home, don't get me wrong. It's quirky, patchwork, loved self is part of who I am - not perfect, but charming.
Sharing it with others though is much harder. I keep thinking that they will judge me, think I haven't accomplished enough, don't have enough, aren't wealthy enough - that I am less in some way.
A serious case of the keeping up the Jones, even though there is no way that can happen!
Then I read something that changed my heart; it isn't about entertaining it is about hospitality. I could live in a dirt floored hut and if I shared my space and my heart with my guests it wouldn't matter. Hospitality can happen anywhere and it can be lacking in some of our nations "nicest" homes.
I am still feeling very exposed by the experience of letting 13 women into my home to peruse my life, but I hope that they saw that it was presented in true love.
I'll do a little photo tour soon to share it with you too!
