OUR DINING ROOM TABLE IS OUR GIVING TREE

Do you know the book, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein? The classic children’s book was described as one of the “most divisive books in children’s literature.” I sided with the tree. You? And, I bet our dining room table would too.

Did you see what I just did? Our dining room table is our giving tree.

this …

Here is her story.

We found our dining room table at a furniture store in Denver. We purchased it when we moved from Westerville, Ohio to Colorado. My traditional, cherry stain furniture did not work in our brownstone in the suburbs home.

My husband and I equally loved this dining room table and like proud parents we were happy to show it off to friends and family.

Like most dining rooms, the dining room table was located in the most unpopular room in the house. But over the years, our dining room table carried the load for our family.

Our dining room table turned into the catchall for tennis racquets, shopping bags, sweaty uniforms,  and mail. It was our giving table.

DINING ROOM TABLE 

During the holidays, we cleared the table’s clutter and dust and topped it off with a layer of furniture oil. Seasonal tablescapes were created over her rough edges. Friends shared their interest in our table if we decided to sell our possessions and move into

… a tiny house.

But, it turns out there is a twist in The Giving Tree analogy. Maybe, we gave a little bit of love back to the dining room table.

Let me explain.

During our first Thanksgiving, with a dozen relatives squeezed around our table, we discovered that the rough edges and bumps on the surface were a bit of a challenge for the dining experience.

It turns out the glasses wobbled.. like Weebles.

My husband panicked and had plans to order a glass table top. Over my grey roots (see what I did there)? On that Thanksgiving night, I fell more in love with our table; it wasn’t perfect.

The design to create a table for a Colorado home could not keep a wine glass level. The glasses wobbled. Kind of like grandma after her second glass of Chardonnay. Grandma blamed the table.

Maybe it was the table. Our table.

While my husband suggested a glass top, I suggested bubble wrap placemats. If you are new here I love to repurpose everyday objects.

It turned out, the table’s imperfections became the best conversation starters with a table full of guests (and drinking glasses).

And, just like the book, written by Shel Silverstein, our dining room table gave us a little bit more.

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