We’veaffectionately dubbed the kitchen table the Yahtzee table in my family. We’ve
played hundreds (maybe thousands) of games on its sleek wooden surface. So many
games, in fact, that last summer my mother had the entire table refinished. Apparently, our years of dice-rolling had
left too many scratches and scuff marks for my mother’s liking. I came home one
day to find a table I almost didn’t recognize. Two refinishing treatments was
all it took. It looked like a new table right there in our kitchen, like
something straight out of the showroom or a fancy catalogue. Shiny. Pristine. Scratch-and-scuff
free.
And I
didn’t like it one bit. So of course, I had to make my feelings known.
didn’t like it one bit. So of course, I had to make my feelings known.
This was an
affront to me, I told her. An assault on our game-playing fun that has become a ritual
for us since my father died. Because there were memories attached to that table. Memories
attached to every scratch on that table. You can’t buy those sorts of memories. They take time to form, and you’re most definitely
not going to find them in a new piece of furniture. 
Maybe you’ve got similar memories attaches to your home decor items. A rocking chair? A comfortable bed? A seemingly dusty end table? These are the items which mark our lives. What is it about a piece of furniture that can hold such powerful memories for us? How just the sight of it can take us back to that moment in time – times of joy and comfort? Does any furniture hold special meaning for you, friends? What does it mean to you?
affront to me, I told her. An assault on our game-playing fun that has become a ritual
for us since my father died. Because there were memories attached to that table. Memories
attached to every scratch on that table. You can’t buy those sorts of memories. They take time to form, and you’re most definitely
not going to find them in a new piece of furniture.
Maybe you’ve got similar memories attaches to your home decor items. A rocking chair? A comfortable bed? A seemingly dusty end table? These are the items which mark our lives. What is it about a piece of furniture that can hold such powerful memories for us? How just the sight of it can take us back to that moment in time – times of joy and comfort? Does any furniture hold special meaning for you, friends? What does it mean to you?
P.S. That second photo shows our game-playing essentials; notice Harry‘s little paws? 🙂
Letters To My Future Husband: Letter #80
Let’s Try: Internet-free Thanksgiving
Dream Home: Rainbow flowers
Anonymous says
Maybe your mother wants the things in her home to look nice….you could have offered to buy the table from your mother and bought her a new one if you were that attached to it. Then you could have saved it for whenever you get your own place to live. I don't like the look of scratches all over the kitchen table…you can buy inexpensive table-pad material to cover the table with when you are rolling dice. I also notice your cats are apparently allowed to lounge on the kitchen table?? Ugh—I sure hope they are declawed!!
Samantha says
All the furniture that holds memories are at my grandparents house. They use to refurbish and repair antiques when I was growing up so our house was fully of the most beautiful things. Sadly they are in the process of moving and selling off a ton of their things. They are holding on to a grandfather clock that I use to wind with my grandfather each night. I would beg him to open it and adjust the weights.
Melissa Blake says
Anon — the cats aren't declawed, and surprisingly don't scratch the table that much. It's funny because the table is starting to show a few scuffs again and it doesn't seem to bother my mom. 🙂
Melissa Blake says
That's awesome, Samantha. My grandparents have a large clock too — love that piece!
Carrie says
I think my whole family would be attached to out living room furnitures. We just spend so much time there together.
🙂
Carrie
http://readmylifeascarrie.blogspot.com/
Wendy says
I can see it from both perspectives. 🙂 I love Harry's paws!
As far as sentimental pieces from my youth, I have too many to list.
Stacey says
I guess you could say that I'm now making memories with my boys. There is one sofa that I cannot keep Zion away from. He has jumped the sturdiness out of it. Every time I look at it, I see him jumping and jumping and jumping…:-)
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