The Reluctant Holiday Host

Sooo…. I am hosting Thanksgiving this year, albeit reluctantly. I say this because being three weeks away, my type A, almost, but not quite, perfectionist personality is starting to switch gears into over drive. The cleaning, the seating, the decorations (which will be provided by my sister since I don’t do décor), the overall feeling of…why did I agree to this?  

As I stop to reflect and take a deep breath, I am reminded of all of the reasons I DID agree to this. I can sum it up into one word, one reason:

FAMILY

I am a southern girl who never left her hometown other than to travel the world on vacation from time-to-time (COVID restrictions have been brutal on my nomadic explorations). I have always called Georgia my one and only home. As someone with an overwhelming gypsy spirit, it sounds strange. I like to think with my restless soul, I would/should be a world traveling vagabond. Jet setting around living freely in all corners of the world but in reality, I am just a girl who dearly loves her FAMILY (there’s that word again) and the thought of missing out on precious time with them, making memories, is just too much to bear.

So, this confession of hesitation comes full circle. As stressful as being “the hostess with the mostest” [pause for fun fact]

The most successful, lavish, and well-connected party-giving woman [more below] Explanation: Hostess with the mostest, the. noun phrase. The most successful, lavish, and well-connected party-giving woman.

Where did this phrase originate, you ask? Why, it comes it from The Hostess With The Mostes' On The Ball, a song in Act I of the 1950 Broadway musical Call Me Madam, originally sung on stage by Ethel Merman. Ethel Merman played Sally Adams, a rich socialite widow who gets appointed the ambassador to the fictional country of Lichtenburg.

can be, I gladly take on the duties and responsibilities that go along with such a grand appointment if it means bringing together my FAMILY- to give thanks, to see smiling faces, to hear laughter and to even watch my Uncle sleep in the recliner with a full belly. As we get older, our family gatherings seem to get smaller with each passing of a loved one which makes each year even more of a gift. I am so grateful for those that still are able to gather and I pray for those people/families that cannot.

I want to encourage you this year to accept and embrace your holiday hosting duties with grace. My house will not be professionally cleaned, it will not be decorated Joanna Gaines style or even Martha Stewart DIY, someone will definitely have to sit and eat in a folding chair, but praise God, we will be together.

I often remind myself that we are perfectly imperfect in God’s eyes and this is exactly how I like to think of my home. All are welcome and no one leaves without feeling loved.

As a heartfelt reminder, I am here to share YOUR story. If you are interested in impacting others through storytelling, email me at info@southernsoulcollectives subject line: Blog me. We all have a story worth telling 

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God Bless,

Hostess Extraordinaire, Meredeth