After our parents had both passed away, we were in the process of preparing their longtime home for sale. There can be such rich nuggets of insight mined during the process of sifting through the riverbed of the lives of those no longer with us. One such gem was quietly placed on their refrigerator door. In my mom’s elegant and more easily recognizable than readable handwriting was her mantra for throwing a good party.

When getting ready for a party, pretend the party is a day earlier.

That was her secret to being a gracious hostess. One who wasn’t frazzled and in a hurry when guests arrived. To implement these words of wisdom, she always set the table the day before the party, as if the guests were going to walk in at any minute. Fresh candles were placed in holders, wine glasses were out, and serving dishes sat neatly stacked on a cleaned counter.

There is a gathering at our home this coming Saturday, and I will be out of town until the night before, so yesterday I set the table, filled the candle holders, and set out the wine glasses and serving dishes.

Our mom left the planet in 2000, but ever since then my sister and I have followed her good advice. When hosting a family event together, it is our favorite part of the preparation. It just plain works, and I wholeheartedly encourage you to try it.

The table set beforehand sets the table for gracious welcome.