Thanksgiving is when my biggest flex comes out to play. Thanksgiving is the holiday that all of my husband’s large family gets together, and my sister-in-law who lives out of town prefers to stay at our house with her husband and their four kids. I definitely go a little insane that week, cleaning our house and cooking (because Aunt KK has to have all the treats!), but as soon as they arrive, it’s all worth it. A cozy clean house ready to welcome them and fun food and drinks to make their time here feel celebratory. And it makes me smile to know that I can host them well!
This month our thrive tip is know your strengths. I’m gonna call them “flex” for the sake of sounding trendy. 😉 My flex is hospitality! I love having people over! I grew up a pastor’s kid so hospitality was just part of the landscape that is ministry. I watched as my mom lit candles and made casseroles and welcomed family, friends and even some enemies into our home. Little did she know, I was taking notes!
When I married into a large family, our house became the game night house, the movie night house, the party house. I learned how to make a dang good homemade pizza and party mix that tasted like Grandma Stickle’s. I hoarded candles and lit them 20 minutes before guests arrived. I hung a wreath on the door and made sure the porch light was on. I had Carl turn up the heat on colder winter days. When people came over, I would flex.
As time as gone on, we host less and less, but when we do, it’s sweeter. I have a few recipes I pull out when we’re expecting company and I make sure there is cake. I usually have a bottle of wine or a cocktail for the evening. I still light candles. But I’ve learned how to listen well and really make people feel welcome. So whenever you’re ready to come over, there will be cake and coffee!
Now I want to know, what is your flex? Is it vacation planning? Is it finding the good deals? Is it cooking dinner? Think about it and share it with us on social media!
Casey Watkins has been married to her IT handyman for ten years. Together, they live in an old house on the east side of Indianapolis with their cats, Charlie and Hermione. In their nine years of infertility, they’ve renovated their house, visited Iceland and baked a lot of cake. You can read more about Casey on her Instagram, chasing_cozy!