It's About A Vision

It’s the hub of our family. It’s where we meet at least three times a day. New ideas are discussed and old ones rehashed. It’s covered with homeschool books, math manipulatives, science projects, and greasy finger prints. It’s our dining table.

So what’s the big deal about a dining table? Well, nothing unless the family has out grown it. We started with an antique game table. It was 3’ by 3’ with two 1’ breadboard extensions and four massively thick table legs that were always in the way when we tried to use the six chairs. So with our growing family, we needed a bigger table. We knew more about what we didn’t want than what we did.

Daddy's Helpers

 Then there was my vision. I grew up with a holiday table overflowing with at least four generations of relatives. Most of those people are gone now, and the family has dwindled. Alan’s side of the family is also scant. To complicate things, we live far away from the rest of our families. When we started our family, I had a vision of a huge holiday table overflowing with our children, their spouses, and their children. Our family table wasn’t big enough for our everyday use, much less my vision.

So began the search. After much looking through stores and on the internet, we finally came to the conclusion that we’d have to have a table custom made. We wanted it to be rustic enough for everyday use and yet nice enough to be dressed up; just the right size for meals and homeschooling, with extensions for years down the line when we welcome sons- and daughters-in-laws. The table legs could not be in the way, and the chairs had to be comfortable so people would want to linger and talk or play games in front of the fireplace.

Finally we found the perfect source for our table and chairs. We talked with Jane from E-Custom Finishes, a company out of Massachusetts. Jane listened to our needs and concerns and talked with us about our ideas. She patiently made suggestions and then waited for us to make decisions. We selected a trestle table made from thick slabs of reclaimed oak barn wood, and we specified the degree of smoothness and a brown cherry finish. We asked that it be 7’ long and 42” wide with two 18” breadboard extensions. We added 12 fan-back chairs in a matching finish. Then we settled in to wait while Jane and her staff went to work. Two and a half months later the crate arrived. After days of rearranging furniture, unpacking boxes, and everyone helping put the table together, it was finally in place and it’s perfect! Part of a vision fulfilled. Just in time for our first holiday meal…Easter! A celebration of new beginnings. Some of our family use the chairs, others require booster seats, and still others are in highchairs, or, my favorite, Daddy’s lap. One day the vision will be complete; the extensions will be on and all the chairs will be filled. Who knows, we may still need that antique game table for an overflow table. It’s a table on which we can make new traditions and celebrate old ones. A table to grow on and with.