Guest-Host

Hospes is a peculiar Latin word that can mean both guest and host. One of the biggest blessings of my life is to live on a street where my friendships fit this word. We trade back and forth hosting one another and deepening our relationships. 

Just this weekend, I was at such a feast. I had been pondering what makes a good host and asked those present, “What does it mean to be a good host? Who are those that you’ve admired in their hosting? What did you notice about them that made them good hosts?” And quickly, the other half of hosting came up as well: “What does it mean to be a good guest? Who have you experienced being a good guest? What did you notice about them that you think made them good guests?” 

These are not questions that we answer one time and finish. To use coaching language, they are questions that we “answer to.” Just as an employee answers to a boss, we can choose to answer to questions like, “What does it mean for me to be a good host?” We orbit around them and are perfected by them again and again over a lifetime. 

This week I invite you ask: 

What are the things that I’ve learned so far about being a good host? About being a good guest? What’s next for me to improve in both of these categories? 

If I could only pick three questions to “answer to” in the next year, what would they be? 

God bless,
Dan