Our Kitchen Table

Of all the furniture in our home, I think our kitchen table is my very favorite.  It doesn't look too fancy--it's not polished and shiny, it is full of chips and dings, and has had lots of love-wear through the decades.  But like anything else that is worn-in, the wear simply makes it cozy and comfortable and easy.

The best thing about our table is that it has essentially become a large, usable piece of art over the years.  Every kid in our family has drawn and/or painted on this table, from me (who used to get down and draw underneath the table so mom wouldn't know) down to little Cael (who was using a blue chalk pastel to color in every single knothole the other night.  We have scribbles, dragons, wobbly family portraits, signatures, polka dots, and more.  Heck, we've even decorated the bench!

As an aside, we also have a lot of great art on the walls.  No, I do not mean in frames.  Who needs frames?  Or paper, for that matter?

Every once in awhile mom will say something to the tune of, "We have got to refinish that table.  It looks terrible!"  To which I reply, "Aw, can't we keep the pictures there and just put a coat of polyurethane on top?"   I think if anyone ever wanted to refinish that table, I'd prostrate myself over the top of it and tell them that they'll have to refinish me, too.  ;)  I love it how it is.  It is delightful.  It fits our family so nicely, and really, we've had some of the top artists contribute to its decoration.

Do you have anything like that in your home or your life?  Something that, in its state of worn-out imperfection has been a source of joy and comfort to you and yours?  I think we need to treasure these things more.  Well, perhaps not the things so much as the time and memories and people that they represent.  It's so easy to fall into the trap of wanting things to look perfect and beautiful and new, but new doesn't come with any memories, and it takes so long to break in! ;)

Have a fantastic day,

Bessie