Hospitality is the industry of welcome. A good hotel receives people at the door and lets them rest, gather, eat well, and feel safe enough to loosen their grip on the world.

Yesterday was Memorial Day in the United States, and it’s a fitting time to make this observation: the ease that fills our luxury hotels and dining rooms didn’t come from nowhere. People paid for it, and some families paid the ultimate price.

There’s nothing small about leisure or hospitality when you understand what makes them possible. A peaceful dinner, a long weekend away, or a child falling asleep in a hotel room after a day in the sun all depend on a world stable enough to protect ordinary happiness.

That stability has a cost. Somewhere behind the polished brass, the flowers on the table, or the stunning view from a beautiful room, there are families with empty chairs at the table. Those families know exactly what the Memorial Day holiday means.

I often talk about rate, margin, and capital, because those things are part of the business. But in addition, the industry of welcome requires a world where people can move freely, gather openly, and expect to return home.

I, for one, say those of us in hospitality need to remember this and carry it with humility. We make our living from the pleasures of peace, and peace has never been free.