A Very Special Guest

Throughout the holiday's my family and I generally have several visitors, be it family, friends or sometimes in a rare instance perfect strangers. Recently, my Husband and I invited a man from Korea into our home for dinner. This man has only been to the United States on two occasions, this visit to over see a piece of equipment sent to my husband's work being his second. When my husband first suggested the idea of this man, Mr. Song, visiting our home for dinner, I immediately felt nervous. "Well, sure, that would be great." I said, feeling a little bit unsure of everything from what to cook, to how to act so that I don't end up giving off the wrong vibes to our foreign guest.
I love having company over, especially during the holidays. There is nothing I enjoy more than preparing my home for guests, cooking and entertaining. I do admit I am a bit more Martha Stewart than I am Holly Golightly.
I'm not going to lie, one of my main concerns was making a positive impression upon this man.Don't get me wrong, my children are wonderful but they are on occasion a bit loud, hyper and have been known to strip off at the strangest times and run around the house nude. So maybe I did have a deep desire for my children to be somewhat like the Van Traps, maybe without all the singing (however that would be a nice addition to the evening.) And as for my husband and I....Mr. and Mrs. Brady might be a nice couple to mimic.
After much discussion, research on Korean culture, food and social etiquette it came to me....simply be yourself, allow your family to be themselves. After all, this man, is probably wanting to experience a real American family.
Now, what would we cook? Stir fry and Costco egg rolls? No that is trying to hard. Chili? Maybe that would be too spicy. Shepard's Pie? After all my roots are Irish...no too bland. Ahhh I know, Spaghetti. It's easy, tasty, and who doesn't like spaghetti?
When Mr. Song arrived at our home that evening, I had everything ready. The cake was baked, the spaghetti on the stove, fresh garlic bread in the oven and a bottle of wine breathing.
Mr. Song greeted me with a handshake and a little bow, "how polite," I thought to myself. After putting coats away, and preparing the table, we began having dinner. This is when it happened, my darling little 2 year old began making faces, pulling her noodles out one by one, spreading sauce all over her face and yes, singing very loudly, not quite the Song of Music but at least she was trying. "Macy, sweetie, please be quiet and eat." I said in my nicest Mrs. Brady sort of way. She continued on, and now her brother was even joining in on the noise. Oh no, I thought to myself. He is going to think we're heathens! "Kids, that's enough, quiet down now." I repeated, giving my husband a kind of "say something to them" look. Just then, kind Mr. Song smiled saying, "Let them talk, be loud, if they didn't do that, we would think they were sick." Then it hit me, right up side the head. He was so right. Children are children, they talk, they sing, they have fun, with every little part of life including spaghetti. They don't try to impress people, they don't hold heirs. They simply be, and you can accept them how they are or....well, they might just run around naked.
My husband and I both smiled, and I felt an immediate sense of calm embrace me. Our visitor was so ultimately comfortable, our children were comfortable, so why weren't we?
I think we try so hard to impress people, to give them the experience we think they desire maybe forgetting for a moment that we are not them, and we do not know what they are looking for in their experience.
Before Mr. Song left, he played with my children, lifting them up to the ceiling, giving them horsey rides and placing Korean coins and dollars into their hands telling them both that someday they will be great important people in this world. He took pictures of us all together and some of the kids. And, he thanked us for a "genuine American family experience." "You are so kind to have me into your home to meet your family, thank you so much." He said, with a very kind smile.
After he left, my husband and I both agreed that our lives were better because of this guest, this perfect stranger who came into our home and our lives, for just a couple of hours to show us what it means to just simply be ourselves.
Thank you Mr. Song