The Heart Of My Home

About ten years ago Scott and I decided we needed a new kitchen table. The one we had wasn't big enough. We didn't have enough chairs. The chairs we had were wobbly. We often entertained. We once had forty people in our house. We love a crowd. We needed a larger table. Scott said he wanted manly chairs. The kind that he would be comfortable in. So off we went to the furniture store. We walked in and I announced to the store owner that we needed the kind of kitchen table that I could birth my babies on. The kind of table I could lay my deceased loved ones out on. Ok. Maybe a bit dramatic. But we were about to drop the mother load of money on a huge table. I needed to know that this guy understood what I was looking for. And boy he had better have a sense of humor! I appreciate this attribute in people I work with.

So from table to table we went. Not the right color. Four legs. I prefer a pedestal table. The chairs fit around it better. Still not finding it. I was starting to get worried. And then there it was. Our future table. With four leaves and eight chairs. This thing expands to the size of a football field. I'm not kidding. So this table became the heart of our home. Lots of family and friends joined us around it for meals, game nights, cookie decorating, crafting. Lots of conversations over a cup of coffee. Some good, some sad. And always a sturdy table to lean on.

When we moved to Madison almost two years ago, our table came with us. Only one problem. We no longer have the gargantuan dining room to accommodate the heart of our home. It fits, don't get me wrong. But as I move around the table there are lots of moments of, shall we say, sucking it in. Our dining room just isn't as big. It's a fact. What to do? Didn't take me long to decide. It took a little longer to get the entire family on board. We need to downsize our table. I know. I know. It's the heart of my home. But do you know what? It's my family that makes it so. We make the table the hub of all that's happening. It's time to sell and move on. It's time to let someone else enjoy the massive space and strength of this table. We will soon have a smaller table and we will make new memories around this piece of furniture. Because after all, that's all it is. We are the heart of our home.