"I'd Love To!"

I liked this post from the Kitchn (sibling of the equally fun and inspirational Apartment Therapy), "Go With the Flow: Simple Ways to Relax and Enjoy Hosting." (The comments are good, too.) This sentence alone is a worthwhile reminder: "Your friends aren't judging you for perfection; they already enjoy you for who and how you are, and they're just interested in hanging out."

For every reason I can think of to have guests over, I can usually think of five not to. 

1. My place is so small. In Manhattan it would be considered enviable in both size and amenities, but in Washington it's just . . . small. Nevertheless I love it and find it utterly charming and cozy, and most everyone who sees it says the same thing. So where's the problem?

2. I'm vegan. Even though becoming vegan three years ago was one of the best—and most fun—things I've ever done for myself, I imagine that people I invite wouldn't be satisfied with what I serve or would consider it weird, no matter how delicious it is to me or how good a cook I am (which is pretty good).

3. I have a dog (half of the time). If it's one of my alternate weeks with her (or if I'm not planning to have her but a change in the custody schedule means that I do), what if a guest doesn't like dogs or is allergic, or what if she's underfoot the whole time? That hasn't happened yet.

4. I can't decide who to invite or how many or whether to mix friends. Some of the best, most relaxed times I've had as a host have been when I've had just one person over. So maybe that's my sweet spot and I should stick with it. Why the self-imposed pressure that I should be having larger groups over?

5. It takes so much time to plan and prepare. Yes. And meanwhile the calendar pages continue to turn. Isn't that time, too?