{ Metzgar Family Blog }

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Sunday, October 3

Why you are not invited

or also titled....a very long boring post.

I've been thinking about how people (at least all the people I know) like to get together with friends and family, hang out, eat, play games, so on.. But no one ever does the inviting.

Sunday School Party? Not at my house!
Friends get together? Let's wait for someone else to volunteer.
Host a fun party? What!?
Girls night in? Don't make eye contact.
Throw a  baby shower? Um...no thank you.

But wouldn't that be FUN??

Do you want to know what I think?
Well , here it is.
I think that most people fall into one
of two categories.

1) My house is not worthy.

2) I don't want to reveal the secret.

Now, I am NOT judging anyone here.
I'm just saying because people are missing
out on good times with their friends and
with their kids friends.

(kids could care less what your house looks like
they just want to come over and eat.your.food.)

The first one is those people who feel their house is
NEVER clean ENOUGH to have someone over.

Then it never will be.

Listen, get a basket go through your house and
pick up everything laying on the floor, counter, table,
stairs, wherever it is not supposed to be and
then hide (yes, I said hide) that basket in your  basement,
closet, even pantry! Somewhere that no one will see.
Then run your vacuum so that you get the vacuum lines
 in your carpet, make your beds and you.are.done.

Ahhh...now ? now? can they come over?
The rest doesn't matter.
It really doesn't. Even I, type A clean-a-organiziholic,
do NOT judge other people's homes.
Your friends are not judging you.
They are your friends!
If they are, then get new ones!
They are grateful that you have the
courage to invite them over to your
less than perfect house. :)

My house is very less than perfect, but
I love to have my friends come on over.
Everyone has the 'first I need to' list.
First I need to...paint.
First I need to...clean the carpets.
First I need to...tile the bathroom.
First I need... a new table.
We are missing out on the most important
thing, which is being together and creating memories.
Yours and my house will never be perfect enough.
It will never be accommodating enough.
That's o.k. Invite them anyway.

Next is the secret category.
I used to be president of this club.
The people in this category don't have alot
of clutter inhibiting them from inviting.
But they don't want to reveal the secret
of how they live. I'm not talking about anything
bad. They (we) just don't want the whole
world traipsing through our homes, looking in
every room because then they know it all.
There is no mysterious left.
You know you see a person very put
together, maybe they have new home,
maybe you admire their old farm house, but
if they let you in, invite you over,
then that mystery is gone.
Then, they know you don't have any furniture in
our master bedroom (me).  They know
that the kitchen is not a dream kitchen. (me)
They know that we still need to hang beautiful
little pretties on the big blank walls. (me)
They know that your house is not as big,
as nice, as beautiful as I thought.
Guess what? Who cares!
These are your friends, neighbors, family.
They love you, not your house.

I have come to realize that we all live
the same. We all need to add a little
something here or there. And we will when
we get the extra cash (or find it at a yard sale)!

Did that make any sense?
Which category are you in?
I think having three kids has caused me
to relax a bit. (about the clean house stuff)
I could tell you stories of the things I used
to do to get ready for someone coming
over that would make you fall out of your
seat. For reals.
As I grow older and closer to my
dearest friends, I want to spend
more time with them and family and if we
have to do that in a cramped, undecorated,
somewhat clutter space then - sign me up.
Because you are invited!

3 comments:

Becky said...

I agree with your post. We were just talking about this same thing at church the other day. I think I have all of the characteristics you mentioned. I'm really trying to work on letting go and inviting people over more. However, the laundry piled on my living room couch isn't helping right now. :)

amanda persinger said...

Sorry...Im still not having you over.. LOL!! just kidding. My problem is the idea of having people over but never actually following through with it... I think for me it's just being lazy!

Amanda said...

ok, so when you get back from your fancy shmancy vaca, we will have a shinding here b4 the big H-party @ your house. Game night or somethin'....K? I love having people over at my house, itsa just the # of people I can fit over here at 524!

"Enjoy this moment,
For this moment is your life."