The Best Gift

From Linda Kelso — Blog by Linda Kelso

June 3, 2009

A few years ago I read a story about a man who quit his job, bought a motorcycle, and traveled all around the United States. He supported himself with odd jobs and relied on the hospitality of strangers.

The story stuck with me. I began to wonder if I could do something like that. After all, I was single with no children and a taste for adventure.

I prayed about it, and Seattle kept popping into my mind. Well, why not? I read a little about the city, talked to a few people that lived there, and ended up booking a flight to look at apartments.

Being a solitary sort of girl, I initially wanted to live by myself. However, a great opportunity came up when I happened to meet Lauren. After a half hour of chatting, we decided to room together.

Through Lauren I unearthed a love for hospitality and cooking that had, apparently, been buried deep inside me. In my pre-Seattle life, I rarely hosted dinners or cooked very much. But Lauren? She loved having people over, and she was raised in a home that practiced near constant hospitality.

And now I do, too. I find that the best gift I can give to friends, family, and even strangers is a good meal. This goes beyond the food: the meal becomes a context for good conversation, sometimes confession, and always friendship.

Now I’m getting ready to move somewhere else, to start over again. But this time, I’ll take the gift of hospitality along with me. Maybe one day I will even be in a position to cook a good meal for a wandering adventurer :)