The story behind the desk

For my daughter Ruby’s 5th birthday, I wanted to give her something really special. Ruby is very into drawing and coloring, far more than Barbies and baby dolls. Our coffee table had been taken over for quite some time with all her colors, markers, paper and coloring books. I

absolutely love her creative spirit, but I don’t always love them taking over the living room. I

decided the perfect solution was to set her up with a desk in her room and I had the perfect one in mind!

It’s no secret that my favorite furniture pieces are those that have been passed down for

generations and carry a story with them. I'll take those over modern, new pieces any day! This desk was built by my Grandpa John for my mom when she was in the 2nd or 3rd grade. My mom then passed it down for my sisters and me to use which is when the Cabbage Patch stickers got added to the top.

The desk in it's original state with the addition of Cabbage Patch stickers on top.

The desk continued to get shuffled around several times, but eventually found itself sitting in storage for a good while. I knew I didn’t want it to get away, but I didn’t have a place for it until now. The desk itself was in nearly perfect condition structurally. After almost 70 years, the only thing I needed to do was replace a screw. However, the finish needed some serious TLC. I originally planned to strip it and restain it, but decided I didn’t love the grain pattern. I opted to paint it (with my mother’s permission, of course!)

Desk stripped down to natural wood. The grain pattern seemed to busy for me!

As I worked on the desk, I often found my eyes filling up with tears. It was like at that very

moment the magnitude of not ever knowing my Grandpa John hit me. You see, he tragically

passed away at the age of 49. My mom was only 16 years old. Far too soon. As close as I am to my dad, I honestly can’t imagine losing your dad at such an early age. My mom was just as close to her dad. My Grandpa John actually never experienced being a grandparent, yet we always referred to him as “Grandpa John.” Here’s the last picture my mom took with him. They went hunting together the week before he passed away unexpectedly. I know it’s a memory that my mom has cherished forever.

My mom & her dad (my Grandpa John)

Besides this desk, the only thing I have of my Grandpa John are stories. Some of my fondest

memories with my Grandma Dee are laying in bed with her at night and asking her to tell me

stories of our Grandpa John. She told the BEST stories and the common theme in each of them revealed that he loved his family more than anything. He worked hard to provide for a big family and spent countless hours building things for them. He built them such cool stuff including their own bunk house!

Here is the after with fresh paint and the cutest little antique chair my mom found.

You sometimes hear the question, "If you had the chance to meet one person, who would it be?" For me, that's an easy answer. It would be my Grandpa John. I would give anything to have not only known him, but to have worked with him in his workshop. So if you’re still reading, here’s my advice. When a loved one passes away, keep their memory alive. Even though talking about them may be emotionally hard on you, talk about them. Share stories about them. Your kids may not realize it at the moment, but those stories will become what they treasure most one day. It’s those stories that make me feel I know exactly who my Grandpa John was. I just know he would have been the best Grandpa!

I plan to pass those stories on to Ruby so that as she sits coloring at her desk, she knows that

someone very, very special made it.

With love,