It’s time for a huge chuckle. So set your funny bone in place and prepare for hysterical laughter from this true event. It’s been a long time since this scenario took place, but I remember it as though it happened last week.
My husband and I hadn’t been married but a few months. He was born in Scotland and grew up in New Zealand. Now those cultures are a bit different from the culture in the United States. Many times people will use the phrase, “Next time you’re in our area, stop by.” I’ve found that it is used rather frequently, but not always sincerely spoken.
My husband travelled extensively in the country of New Zealand and met many lovely people over the years. He was now married only a few months, but word spread that he and his wife were now living in Canada. The English and Scottish cultures were accustomed to being very hospitable. My husband would share with me that he would often be bringing home kids from school at various hours and his Mom always had biscuits or a dinner in-the-making ready to share with anyone. I would refer to these visitors as “drop ins.” There were no rules or understanding about calling first and seeing if it was convenient
Knowing him, he would have shared with most all the people he visited that if they were ever in our area, “please come and stay.”
Well I think this is sufficient information for you prior to reading the following occurences.
We hadn’t been married more than three months when our “drop ins” (I mean visitors) began arriving. The phone would ring, and it didn’t take an interpreter to ascertain the accents on the other end of the telephone. It would be a New Zealand accent, for sure. My general response upon answering the phone was, “Are you at the airport, or bus depot? Sometimes their response would be “No, but we are leaving for the airport tomorrow and wondered if you would be home for the next week or so?”
This new adventure-call came in the late afternoon. My husband answered the phone and voila, visitors from New Zealand. I can’t count the number of couples we had enjoyed having prior to this call, so I was beginning to adjust to on-the-call visitors. I could surmise by the conversation, that they had already “arrived” and were hoping for transportation from the airport to the local hotel (our home).
All was going according to plan in response to the recent call-in agenda, and we got into the car and headed for the airport. There wasn’t much conversation between my husband and I, and I wondered if there was more to this pick-up routine than expected. Was there ever!!!!!
“There’s something I need to tell you, were my husband’s warning words.” “What’s wrong, or what do I need to know?” I inquired. Then the penny dropped, so-to-speak. My husband proceeded to tell me about our arriving house guests and how I should “properly address” the couple who would be arriving. The man should be addressed as Sir Peter Tait and his wife would be respond to Lady Tait. In the last few minutes of our excursion to the airport my husband told me that he had been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. This couples’ soon-to-be accommodation was our very small home, three tiny bedrooms and the only red carpet would be a tiny red throw rug.
Has your chin dropped to the floor yet? I mean, how would you be feeling with this up-to-the-minute news flash? At this point, I couldn’t even answer. And even if I tried to, at this point we were pulling into the airport. He said they were very nice people and he thought they would be easy to have for a few days.
As I’m recalling this new adventure, I’m smiling from ear to ear as I know how the events took a joyful turn. As I think about it now, at the time, I thought about having a nervous breakdown on receiving my husband’s instructions, but in that we were on our way to our local airport, there just wasn’t time. (Laughter!)
We pulled up at the arrivals and it took no time to see a pair of hands waving enthusiastically toward our direction. They were waiting patiently at curbside for their concierge service. They were very friendly, and most appreciative that we would be delighted to have them for part of their vacation in Canada, specifically, our home for a week.
Attentive to my on-the-way-to-the-airport instructions about how to greet them…..yes, Sir Peter and Lady Tait. Got it! After our hello hugs to greet them, I began addressing them in the proper manner. Sir Peter and Lady Tait. It took less than two seconds to be told to call them Pete and Lil from then on. That was the etiquette they wanted.
Everything was going well and I was able to throw together an evening dinner and they had an early-to-bed evening. The following morning, Lady Tait, or Lillian as I began calling her, arose and came out for breakfast. Her hair wasn’t exactly in perfect location all over her head. She had a wonderful sense of humor and we laughed at the mountain peaks her hair was in. As we both laughed, I made the comment that I always enjoyed coiffuring, shall we say, other peoples’ hair. In other words, I enjoy putting friends’ hair in rollers, parking them under a dryer, and styling their hair. I felt safe enough to ask her if she wanted me to work with her mountain hair peaks. She couldn’t blurt out the affirmative fast enough.
So, after breakfast, Lady Tait and her new hairdresser went to work. We laughed and carried on like two little school girls, and when it was all over (but the shouting), she looked gorgeous and felt grateful. I was so thrilled that she allowed me this privilege of getting up close and personal to this member of royalty.
This couple visited us on a regular basis throughout the years, and I remember they stayed in almost every home we lived in for the next number of years. They even brought other couples with them. It was a joy and delight to learn the lesson again and again to JUST BE YOURSELF, and to LOVE THOSE GOD BRINGS INTO YOUR HOME.
They are both at home with Jesus now. But I shall look forward to seeing them in heaven and reuniting with such fun and down-to-earth people.
I think too that we should treat everyone who enters our homes like ROYALTY….because everyone needs to know they “are special”………….. because God Himself designed them.
Now……….when are YOU coming to our home?????
Cups of Cold Water 