Houseguests and Graciousness

Since moving to China, I’ve spent extending periods of time with two families, first in Beijing and then in Hong Kong. In both of these instances, I’ve been touched, overwhelmed and constantly left speechless by the kindness, warmth and generosity these families have shown me. Not only have they taken me into their homes, fed me, given me a place to stay and taken me to amazing places, they’ve all made me feel as if I have a home away from home here in Asia.
The reason I bring this up is because I want to make the point that hospitality and warmth have the ability to lift someone’s spirits and put him or her in a better place both physically and emotionally. Without my friend’s family here in Beijing, I would have been lost. And alone. With them, I had a structure, a family, a mother to go to when I felt sick. The same can be said for the family in Hong Kong; I arrived sick and tired and left happy and healthy. Maybe it’s something about the expat lifestyle that draws such caring and compassionate people. Maybe it’s that they see me and see themselves, 30 years ago. Regardless of what it is, spending time with these people has made me appreciate how far a little bit of kindness can go, how little it takes to make someone feel better, and how nice people can be to those they barely know.