Cloth Napkins

When you come to my home I will give you a cloth napkin.  The reason is not why you think.

Many years ago, when my girls were babies, we had very little money.  I was a creative grocery shopper.  I bought food to make very economical meals.  We had baked potatoes and canned chili, macaroni and cheese from a box, and anything else I could purchase with just a few dollars.  One day while calculating my budget and crossing items off my grocery list, I noticed I was out of money, but I still had napkins on the list.  A package of napkins cost about $1.50.  That may not seem like much, but it was too much at the time.  I didn't have $1.50.  I remembered my husband's grandma had given us some cloth napkins when we got married.  They were pink.  One set was designed like a picture frame: the light pink was on the inside and the dark pink on the outside.  The other set had 3 inch pink flowers on them.  I decided we would simply use those until I could afford paper ones again.

Twenty years later, I still can't bring myself to spend money on napkins even though we can now afford it.  We have a drawer of different colored cloth napkins, some are homemade, some are bought from a store, many are gifts, and I still have the original pink set from Grandma.  Some of the napkins match our home decor, but most don't.  I love that I simply wash them and use them again.  I don't have to pay for them, throw them away, then buy more.  Early on, my girls learned to fold by folding napkins.  Any 2-year old can easily fold a napkin.

So when you come to visit don't be surprised by my cloth napkins.  I didn't bring out the special decor. These colorful, well used cloth napkins are how we normally operate.  If I have them, I may as well use them. I don't want you to think I'm putting on a show for your visit.  This is how we live and it is how we have lived for as long as my girls can remember.

If I had fancy dishes, I would use those every day too.  I would want to see them and enjoy them and let others enjoy them.

Some people like paper plates, some people like paper napkins, some people like to use the special stuff on special days and the plain stuff the other days.  Whatever you use is wonderful.  It is more important who you are and how you welcome your guests than the material of your dishes and napkins.

I welcome you to come visit someday.  Whether you have dinner or simply a cup of coffee, I will share a cloth napkin with you and you can know I am treating you as one of my family, getting the very best every time.