Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Hospitality in a Heartbeat

Throughout our daughter's almost four month hospitalization, one thing became very clear to me: It really is the little things that count. Whether it was the snacks from Trader Joe's that my brother's family brought or the big box of diapers that the RMH housekeepers left us for our son, these little gestures meant the world.

It's important to me to "pay it forward" and, to me, that means taking little opportunities to do something kind. To reach out. To provide "a little something" when nothing was expected. With not a lot of extra time or extra money, I've learned to pull this off quickly and cheaply.

For example...

What to do when a team of four young roofers shows up to replace your roof on a humid August day with temperatures soaring into the 90's? How do you show appreciation for the 14-hour work day they put in?




I went with cookies and lemonade. All plastic serving pieces mean there's no risk of breakage. Jumbo-sized tumblers are far more appropriate for grown men than rinky-dink paper cups.


Cookies bake up in a flash when you've frozen individual dough balls. I bag them two dozen at a time to give me two perfect cookie sheets worth.


I have an awful lot of Kool-Aid because of some recent "buy 3 Kraft products, get XXX free" deals. The pink lemonade version mixed with 2/3 the sugar makes a refreshing summer beverage.

When I carried out this tray, I was met with stunned gratitude. Such a little thing!

Brightening someone's day and providing hospitality... that Works for Me.

Check out more great tips at Works for Me Wednesday, hosted at Rocks in My Dryer!

6 comments:

Blessings From Above said...

That is great advice! I love the cookie dough idea. Thanks for sharing.

Jenn @ Casa de Castro said...

I did something similar for the men who were installing our flagstone patio on an August day in Texas. It was 115 in the shade (or at least it felt like it)! My offering wasn't nearly as pretty or well thought out as yours, but the difference it made in the lives of those men? Heartwarming! Thanks for this tip and the reminder that the little things DO count!

Totallyscrappy said...

When my brother was in the hospital and we were spending hours in the waiting room one of the nicest things anyone did for me was... a friend gave me her change purse. It was a small amount of money, but it was useful at the vending machine!
You are so right... a small gesture means so much.

(I also like the idea of using a clothespin to hold together all the Koolaid packets.)

marigold said...

Very sweet (ha, no pun intended!) and thoughtful! Love the cookie dough idea too!

Sherry @ Lamp Unto My Feet said...

SOmetimes the littlest things can mean so much! :D

Tara said...

What a great gesture! I have a ton of koolaid, and should put it to use in such a generous way.