Why do we try to impress our guests?

Today was my cousin's birthday celebration and so we picked up one of her friends and went to a movie and stuff.  Once this girl got in the car all the cousins immediately began talking about stuff they'd done.  Stuff like what they did at Disney World and that they went to Disney World and which princesses they saw and then that turned into jokes they knew and that turned into a competition to see who could make this girl laugh.  It made me think of how all of us act when we have guests in our homes.  We do all kinds of crazy things to prepare for their arrival and that made me think, why do we try to impress our guests?

Whenever we would have guests to my house, my parents would basically turn the place upside down.  It was madness.  The house had to be perfect and we all had to look perfect.  But why?  Were we trying to make these people think we were the perfect family?  That our house looked like this all the time?  That the kids never faught?  That there were no merital problems between the parents?  Obviously we don't want people thinking we're an awful family, but do we want them to think we're nothing less than perfect?

I know when my mom goes to people's houses, it's kind of a settling feeling when their house is messy because it means they're just like her.  (Mom, if you're reading this, I'm sorry I just told everyone our house is messy.  It's actually not that bad everyone...)  When we see other people's kids fighting we feel better because our kids aren't the only ones.  So if everyone actually is like everyone else in those ways, why do we feel the need to cover all that up?  Is it so they think we're better than them?  Is it so we can feel like we're better than them?  Either way we come off as snobs, don't ya think?

I know in the South its polite to make your house look excellent for our guests, but its the feeling we try to give the guests and the feeling we try to give ourselves that makes it a bad symbol.  Sometimes its good to let people see the crap in your house, or even your life.  In some ways it's actually more polite to leave your house a little messy to make the guests feel better about their house.  I bet they'll even mention that they're glad your house is kind of messy too. 

My challenge today is to not try to impress your guests with your awesomeness, but try to make them feel good about themselves.  That is what people love right?  To feel good about themselves?  Many of you probably don't own a house but you do have guests of some sort so try that next time you're with them.  Don't focus on what makes you better than them, but try to focus on what makes them better than you.  It will be hard, but it's a small way to challenge yourself everyday.  Competition is good!  Use it to your advantage.