The silver bowl was beautifully polished, filled with ice, and various beverages were placed inside.  The hustle of the wait staff preparing the table caught my attention as they placed plates draped with linen onto a table.  Silver card holders were used to identify the assortment of food items and the individual jars of honey for hot tea were just darling.  The lunch buffet was quite pleasing to the eye.

     The hotel where I’m staying for work isn’t typical for me as this is “Luxury” and I’m used to more of the Holiday Inn kind.  My room is incredibly spacious and has a lovely chandelier hanging in the center.  The television screen is personalized with my name welcoming me and the assortment of fruit and chocolate was a nice touch.  Everything about this hotel is accommodating.  Really accommodating  –  ask for anything and you will have it in less than ten minutes.

     I spent the day in a room that had the most beautiful crown molding and ceiling engravings, candelabras lined the walls - the entire length of the room, and the antique door handles were beautiful.  The vintage wood floors have been finished with a high gloss but you can still see nicks and scratches which give it remarkable character; if these floors could talk, how interesting the conversation would be!  The hallway floors are exquisite marble, some of the furniture is clearly still original from the early 1900’s, and the time spent creating it is evident in the intricate wood carvings.  I could spend an entire day browsing the various areas, taking in the extraordinary architecture and don’t even get me started on the library! 

     At the conclusion of the meetings, and after dinner when our day is through, I go to my room where a butler has turned down my sheets, placed slippers next to my bed and given me a reminder of calling if I need anything.  It is luxury at its best and yet it’s silent and I’m sitting alone on a bed that has sheets which most likely have a higher thread count than all the sheets I own put together!  It is beautiful, it is more extravagant than any place I’ve ever stayed, and yet I find myself hoping the next twenty-hour hours go quickly.  I’m certainly thankful for the experience as I would never have the opportunity to stay in such a place on my own.  I am however reminded – all these little touches that create a luxurious atmosphere, all the attention from the staff willing to cater to my every need, just don’t compare to the genuine smiles of those I love greeting me after a long day of work, the amenities don’t provide comfort like the warm embrace of a family member, nor do the sheets cradle like the arms of my husband and suddenly, the chandelier doesn't shine quite as brightly.

There really is "no place like home."

“Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.”
— Romans 12:16

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