Lessons in hospitality

The root word for "hospital" and "hospitality" are the same: to welcome somebody is an expression of healing.

Last week as I tended to the crew of a Coast Guard cutter that lost a shipmate (a few days later, the daughter of another crew member was trampled by a horse at a 4th of July parade), I was astounded by the hospitality the crew extended to me (a stranger).

On the first day I met the boat while it was still underway, the first question from the Officer in Charge was, "Have you eaten?", followed by, "How about some coffee?" In their grief and pain, they did not neglect hospitality to the stranger. After the cutter had arrived at homeport, I was invited to two barbeques hosted by crew members and allowed to share their stories, hear their hopes and dreams, and witness their support of each other.

Despite their many trials and tribulations, the crew never forgot the divine gift of hospitality. In the moments of meeting each other, true healing could occur. A lesson to take home...and share with others.