Alexandrine had always been a gracious and accommodating hostess. She loved having friends and family over and always went out of her way to ensure that her guests were comfortable and had everything they needed. Lately, however, she has started to feel like some of her guests were overstaying their welcome.
It started with her sister Josephine, who had come to stay with her for a few weeks after a bad breakup with her boyfriend of three years. Alexandrine was happy to have her baby sister stay with her. However, she got frustrated with her sister’s constant complaints and negative attitude after a while. She tried to be patient with her sister’s behaviour but eventually had to ask Josephine to leave.
Next, her friend Marcus came to stay with her at her countryside cottage for the weekend. He had been through a tough time at work, and Alexandrine thought getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city for a few days would be good for him. Unfortunately, Marcus stayed at the cottage for an entire week and treated her like his concierge and sometimes his maid. Alexandrine was beyond exhausted by the end of the week, and she never had a spare moment for herself. She was always busy keeping up with Marcus’s every demand.
Finally, her cousin Lila came to stay with her for a month while the former looked for a new apartment. Alexandrine was happy to help her cousin out, even going with her to a few open houses, but after a few weeks, she felt Lila was taking advantage of her kindness. Lila was messy, often left dishes in the sink, causing mould to grow, and she never offered to help with chores around the house.
Alexandrine knew she needed to set some boundaries but didn’t want to be rude or ungrateful. She tried dropping hints, like mentioning how busy she was with work or how she had plans with other friends. Sadly, her guests didn’t seem to take the hint and continued to take advantage of her hospitality.
Finally, Alexandrine had had enough. She called a family meeting, with Marcus joining in via Zoom, and honestly talked with them about how she was feeling. She explained that she loved having them stay with her but needed space and time. Her guests were a bit hurt at first but then understood. They even apologized to Alexandrine for overstaying their welcome.
From then on, Alexandrine made a point to be more upfront about her expectations when hosting guests at her apartment or countryside cottage. She learned that it’s okay to set boundaries and say no when necessary and that true friends will understand and respect her wishes.
Tiffany’s Writing Desk 