Day 1195

This table was lovingly delivered to The Big White House this morning. It belonged to my dear friend and his bride…Don’s family wanted it to find its new home with us. I was honored and already feel the presence of more love in the house. I have heard a few stories about this beauty with the promise of more to come. Originally belonging to George Green, it became the pride and joy of my “Harmonica Man” and his wife, Edith. The family reminisced about gatherings around the table and how much they looked forward to all of the different centerpieces throughout the years. I will continue that tradition.

Family dining, around the table, often takes a back seat to activities, jobs, televisions, phones and a host of other enticements these days. For me, sitting around the family table is so essential to connecting with loved ones. As a child, we always had the deepest conversations during dinner. Running the gamut from daily happenings to world events, I learned to listen, share and learn from those precious times.

One evening, during the early years of the Vietnam Nam War, we were discussing guerrilla warfare. After listening to the conversation for a bit, I asked, “How do they teach those “gorillas” to shoot rifles?” The silence was deafening for a moment until my sweet father gently informed me of the facts. That story was shared more than I cared for during future dinners around the table!

Our new addition will begin a life of its own as we sit around its beautiful warmth. It will, however, always carry the loving ambiance of its past. I will always picture my dear friend with his own place among us every time we sit down. What a wonderful gift to be cherished.