The offered hand missed accidentally does not need to become a verdict on welcome.

Small physical misfires happen constantly and mean nothing. A hand not seen, a hug started half a second late, a greeting that lands on the wrong side: these are timing errors between two nervous systems, not judgements. Trouble starts when the person who reached out reads the miss as an answer and quietly withdraws for the rest of the evening. What was an accident then becomes a real distance.

If it happens to you this week, laugh it off out loud and try again with words. If you were the one who missed, say the person’s name and pick the conversation straight back up.