Hospitality is one of my favorite things. There's just nothing quite as special as opening up your home to friends and family, be it for dinner, a party, a cup of tea, or an overnight.

But I think we may have gotten out of the habit of welcoming people into our homes. (Inviting people to be your guests at a restaurant isn't quite the same.) I've been trying to think about the reasons:

• We're all so over-scheduled that it's hard to find an open time.
• We're ashamed of the state of our houses and don't want other people to see.
• All of the lifestyle shows and magazines have convinced us that hosting people needs to be a major event instead of simple sharing.

What do you think the reason is?