On Coping with Unwanted Guests
The Indian culture and tradition dictates, that every guest must, be accorded a warm welcome. No guest is unwanted. A guest is a manifestation of God and must be received with great warmth and hospitality. In the words of Tulsidas, “We must be cordial. Who knows when God himself may knock at our door in the guise of a humble man.”
Hospitality is a basic tenet common to all faiths. However, how does one account for an unwanted guest who drops in thoughtlessly, at an odd hour, completely unaware of what a nuisance he is being? Imagine a housewife, who after packing off her husband to the office and a Self-proclaimed benefactor, who makes it her business to ensure, that all is well in the neighbourhood, bores the poor woman with her unending, gossip, disturbing her leisure! Yet another example of such a guest would be a friend who drops in over the weekends, when one is looking forward to a well-earned rest after a hectic week. Nothing is more annoying than relatives, who take you for granted, treating your house as a holiday resort, where they can board and lodge free of cost with varied menus to suit their palate. Little do they realize the extent of inconvenience and discomfort they cause to their hosts. Their children invade your house like a tornado, turning everything topsy-turvy and when they leave, you find yourself still reeling under the impact of the expenditure you have incurred in entertaining them. To add to your financial woes they even borrow money at the time of departure. You can be sure to write off these amounts as bad debts.
Let us, however, look at the flip side of the situation. These unwanted and unwarranted guests help you to perfect the art of camouflaging your irritation and annoyance, as you can ill-afford to express these feelings candidly before your friends and relatives. More often than not, they teach you valuable lessons in patience. They make you understand the hard way, that every guest, however badly timed his visit, must be welcomed for though,
“This house is mine but riot more than that of
His who build over these,
His glorious roof of night and day.
For at the threshold of God
None with ever bear Nay”.
