31 Days of Breaking Bread: Halloween & Hospitality

We’re wrapping up our 31 day challenge, and I didn’t come close to posting every single day, but I have so loved this topic. With Halloween coming up on Friday, I’m already thinking about the opportunities for connection and community. I know that for many of us, community is the biggest barrier to being an inviter and opening up our hearts and homes.

How do these wonderful, magical communities seem to fall into people’s laps? Who am I supposed to invite?

I’ve been there, and it took a lot of work and intentionality to get that sense of community. It took inviting and inviting and inviting when it feels repetitive and like it might even be a little annoying. But it’s worth it.

We’ve been in our neighborhood now for almost a year, and we’ve tried to be “front yard people.” We spend a lot of time playing in our driveway and riding bikes in front of our house. Because of this, we’ve had great opportunities to meet our neighbors and continue those conversations from one day to the next. Even Boudreaux has welcomed himself into a neighbor’s home. (But that’s a story for a different day! Crazy dog!)

Our neighborhood is having a little cul de sac party before trick-or-treating begins on Friday night. I’m excited to get to know some of our neighbors that we haven’t gotten to know yet. I’m looking forward to learning their kids’ names. It’s such a great opportunity to make connections and then invite people over for chili and cornbread the following weekend. Why not?

I’m going to be thinking of some easy, intentional things that I can do and ways that I can invite, and just invite. That initial invitation can be the biggest hangup and barrier to community, but I can assure you that people want to come!

The first time one of our neighbors invited us over for dinner, I was truly surprised and also so touched. It was so special to us that they said they wanted to get to know us.

When your neighbors stop by and trick-or-treat, memorize their names. Learn something new about them. And maybe even extend an invitation for them to pop by for supper one night. You never know what could come of it!

This post is part of 31 Days of Breaking Bread