Hospitality:
The Art of Welcoming Others By Brooke Wiens
H
ospitality, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, is “the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.” I love this definition because it includes everyone. I’ll never forget the day I was welcomed into the home of one of my students. They’d recently arrived in the US with just the clothes on their backs and a small backpack. Life for them in Syria had deteriorated quickly, and they found themselves newly resettled in the middle of the United States. They didn’t know much English and I didn’t know any Arabic, but on this particular day, none of that mattered. I’d spent the previous few Saturdays taking field trips with them to local places that would make their adjustment smoother. We’d gone to a local grocery store one Saturday and even visited a local clothes closet to try and get them some affordable winter clothes. As they welcomed me into their home on this particular Saturday, we smiled back and forth. They taught me a few Arabic words and phrases and laughed at every utterance I attempted. I learned to laugh at myself that day, and I learned that my attempting a few phrases in their language broke down walls and leveled the playing field. It earned me some trust. We sipped strong Turkish coffee out of beautiful cups they had found at a local thrift store and
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Among Worlds
tasted sweet treats they had made that reminded them of back home and me of travels abroad. We switched to practicing English and the laughter kept going. It may have been a nervous laughter, but the smiles and brave language attempts forged our friendship deeper.
Coffee shared with new friends builds trust, establishes roots of friendship, and connects cultures.
“ We sipped strong Turkish coffee out of beautiful cups they had found at a local thrift store.”
