Caroline that’s a keeper! What a beautiful crafted post in memory of your pops.
A month ago we lost my father-in-law and two years my mother-in-law. We have a house full of antiques with no where to go with the heirlooms. Material Girl is giving me pause on this problem.
"He built because his hands knew how.... A man builds a table for his granddaughter, never imagining that one day, she will carry it across state lines and only understand its true worth when she’s forced to mend it." This is so beautiful. I have a family cabinet that reminds me so much of the nightstand your Pop made for you... the sticking doors and wobbly feet. An heirloom that had no concrete intention of becoming such an emotional and now essential bridge to the past. I wish you the best settling into your new place and am so grateful that you shared this revelation with us. If it can still stand, so can we. 💚
I love that you have that cabinet!! Wobbly feet and all. This was sort of a reflection on the past incident, though I definitely didn’t make that clear lol. Pops table had been safely in Virginia for 5 years ❤️😊
Okay, that makes so much more sense to me now! My apologies for not catching that. I remember feeling excited when I very first read your work because you mentioned Virginia and though I live in Tennessee now - I’m from southern Virginia. Love the piece & much love to you!
Having spent most of our lives moving from country to country and now (apparently) rooted to the spot in London, we rather miss the excitement of a pile of unopened boxes and the unpacking and finding a new home for beloved objectz
Caroline! This made me so emotional! Your nightstand is beautiful, I love the book nook. I'm with you, I would carry that thing across state lines, country lines, it would be right up there with Delilah. It looks like it was made with such love and care. The little imperfections it acquires along the way means you are leading a life well lived. Your pop would be so PROUD 🥹
Aww you’re the sweetest of all time!!! Thank you!! Yes, the table, Delilah, and a necklace from him are my top three. Maybe add in Zsa Zsa’s book lolol.
Oh I love this so much. I am lucky to have a dad who built a few of our furniture pieces that I cherish, (and we now have a cabinet my grandpa made, too) you are so right that these objects can hold more meaning over time! 😘
As someone who has almost no new furniture in my house, they all have history, this essay hits home. So often I’ve longed for that clean, curated space filled with pieces I had chosen instead of the ones that chose me, but with time I’ve come to see that those pieces are so much more than furniture.
Oh, Caroline! This is so beautiful! I have a coffee table my dad made that bears all the scars of 40 years of wear and tear. Thank you for giving me a reason to think of it. xoxo
To be able to bring us along for such an enjoyable ride.I remember my Grammies kitchen . it was a place of magic .There was just a small spot were you could see outside through the glass from all the steam and heat she would bake pies all day long when blackberries were in Thank You
Every time I think an essay of mine has to solve the climate crisis, i think of how beautifully you address big ideas by starting with something tangible like your grandfather’s hands knowing how to make a table. Thank you, Teacher 👍🏽🍎
There have been very few possessions that have invoked that kind of reaction from me. I’m a bit jealous, such a lovely piece about imbued meaning in family possessions.
Thank you for this sweet and thoughtful post. My friend lost everything in a fire. She was stoic as we shopped for new clothes, then suddenly burst out “My recipes!” And later “My mother’s jewelry!” As the magnitude of her loss sunk in, it was those irreplaceable memory-linked items she missed, not the much more expensive stuff.
Truth: One lifetime is not enough.
And that is a fine looking nightstand.
Agreed! Thank you!
Caroline that’s a keeper! What a beautiful crafted post in memory of your pops.
A month ago we lost my father-in-law and two years my mother-in-law. We have a house full of antiques with no where to go with the heirlooms. Material Girl is giving me pause on this problem.
Awww thank you so much!! I’m pretty sure my parents have storage room full of stuff we don’t know what to do with 😊🤍
"He built because his hands knew how.... A man builds a table for his granddaughter, never imagining that one day, she will carry it across state lines and only understand its true worth when she’s forced to mend it." This is so beautiful. I have a family cabinet that reminds me so much of the nightstand your Pop made for you... the sticking doors and wobbly feet. An heirloom that had no concrete intention of becoming such an emotional and now essential bridge to the past. I wish you the best settling into your new place and am so grateful that you shared this revelation with us. If it can still stand, so can we. 💚
I love that you have that cabinet!! Wobbly feet and all. This was sort of a reflection on the past incident, though I definitely didn’t make that clear lol. Pops table had been safely in Virginia for 5 years ❤️😊
Okay, that makes so much more sense to me now! My apologies for not catching that. I remember feeling excited when I very first read your work because you mentioned Virginia and though I live in Tennessee now - I’m from southern Virginia. Love the piece & much love to you!
No apologies necessary!! I’m in NoVA, just outside of DC. Can’t wait to settle down and check out your latest!
Having spent most of our lives moving from country to country and now (apparently) rooted to the spot in London, we rather miss the excitement of a pile of unopened boxes and the unpacking and finding a new home for beloved objectz
I cannot imagine moving as much as you have! What an exciting life!!!
Caroline! This made me so emotional! Your nightstand is beautiful, I love the book nook. I'm with you, I would carry that thing across state lines, country lines, it would be right up there with Delilah. It looks like it was made with such love and care. The little imperfections it acquires along the way means you are leading a life well lived. Your pop would be so PROUD 🥹
Aww you’re the sweetest of all time!!! Thank you!! Yes, the table, Delilah, and a necklace from him are my top three. Maybe add in Zsa Zsa’s book lolol.
Oh I love this so much. I am lucky to have a dad who built a few of our furniture pieces that I cherish, (and we now have a cabinet my grandpa made, too) you are so right that these objects can hold more meaning over time! 😘
I love all of these handmade pieces!!! I need to learn a craft…
As someone who has almost no new furniture in my house, they all have history, this essay hits home. So often I’ve longed for that clean, curated space filled with pieces I had chosen instead of the ones that chose me, but with time I’ve come to see that those pieces are so much more than furniture.
Way more than furniture! I bet the vibes in your home are perfect!
When I’ve been away awhile and come home I get a good vibe walking in the door so that’s what counts!
Oh, Caroline! This is so beautiful! I have a coffee table my dad made that bears all the scars of 40 years of wear and tear. Thank you for giving me a reason to think of it. xoxo
Awww I love that so much!!!
To be able to bring us along for such an enjoyable ride.I remember my Grammies kitchen . it was a place of magic .There was just a small spot were you could see outside through the glass from all the steam and heat she would bake pies all day long when blackberries were in Thank You
Oh I love that, Teddi!! I can still picture myself eating a giant bowl of grits in my grandmas kitchen.
Every time I think an essay of mine has to solve the climate crisis, i think of how beautifully you address big ideas by starting with something tangible like your grandfather’s hands knowing how to make a table. Thank you, Teacher 👍🏽🍎
Thank you, Katharine! All I really know are the small things that are my own. 🤍
You must have been born an archivist 🤩
There have been very few possessions that have invoked that kind of reaction from me. I’m a bit jealous, such a lovely piece about imbued meaning in family possessions.
Thank you!! I annoyingly pride myself on how I like things but feel no attachment to them…except that’s not totally true lololol
old things which break down....hmmm
you been reading my mail 😉
AARP alert!
Whew. Just…all of this. 🥲
Ahhh you’re too kind!
Thank you for this sweet and thoughtful post. My friend lost everything in a fire. She was stoic as we shopped for new clothes, then suddenly burst out “My recipes!” And later “My mother’s jewelry!” As the magnitude of her loss sunk in, it was those irreplaceable memory-linked items she missed, not the much more expensive stuff.
I’m so sorry for your friend! I cannot imagine how heavy that loss felt/feels. Thank you for being here.
Pattina of the soul, wobbly stuck drawers are always humorous, although easy to fix, we tolerate the frustration, because it's funny,
Patina of the soul! I love that so!!
So beautiful. May the table heal up nicely ❤️💔❤️
Thank you!!