Country Hospitality

                                                   
                                             

Katzya and Opie preparing for their big day!

     Last weekend Katzya had a horse show 45 minutes from home.  Technically 45 minutes is not that far from home, however when you don't leave the barn until 11 pm and you have to be back by 7 am, it is an extra 90 minutes of precious sleep that you are missing out on!
     I was discussing this the week before with a woman that I work with and she said, "Well, I live right next door to that arena, and I am leaving for vacation.  You should stay at my house!"  I wasn't sure what to think about this.  I knew she wouldn't be home that weekend and I needed a place to stay, but I still wasn't sure if I could honestly take her up on her offer.  I wanted to badly, but it just felt foreign to have someone extend themselves and their home so freely.
     So she gave me her house keys before she left work on Tuesday and told me to stay in her house, eat whatever I wanted, and to relax.  I stewed on this for the rest of the week, thoroughly convinced that she didn't mean it when she invited me to stay.  Friday came around and I had every intention of staying in a hotel, but thought I would text her and just feel her out.  (Hotels are expensive!)  Behold, she texted me back, explained where the clean towels were kept, and again reminded me to make myself at home.  So with my invitation again confirmed, I stayed at her house and I was so glad that I did!  Her home was absolutely beautiful, welcoming, and it felt just like home.  This was something that I could never say about the Holiday Inn.
It was after the fact that I got to contemplating and questioning why I was so uncomfortable staying at this person's house.  Why did her invitation seem so foreign to me?  What is it that makes us turn down other people's nice gestures?
     I came to the conclusion that people are not used to other people being genuine anymore.  It is as if you have to question people constantly.  You have to worry if they really mean to offer kindness.  I don't like feeling like that, and I am going to be more open and genuine in my kindness.  Who knows?!  Maybe I will inspire someone else to do the same thing!  I really feel like this is the next step of farming that I need to work on.  I am going to be kind and allow other people to do the same thing for me, because that is how we do it here down on the farm!