Shortly after Ken and I were married, I spotted a piece of antique furniture at a local auction. With its dovetailed joints and rustic look, the unique hutch went for much higher than I could afford. My father-in-law saw my disappointment and said, “That wouldn’t be hard to make.” With his expert knowledge and craftsmanship, I knew he wasn’t just saying that.
When Dad–or Poppy as the girls called him –arrived at our house with the beautiful hutch he had built, I was overjoyed. He crafted it out of pine, and it looked so perfect in our kitchen. For the seven years we lived in our first house and eight years in our current house, that hutch stood witness to crawling babies and family dinners, little girl tea parties and holiday seasons and celebrations. Like Poppy, it was always there, sometimes noticeable and bursting with character, and other times, standing in the background, looking over our growing family.
Eventually, we replaced the hutch with a piece of furniture that gave us more storage as our family grew and our needs changed, but the hutch was never out of sight nor out of mind. For almost fifteen years, it stood in a corner of our garage, serving a multitude of purposes. For the past few years, it housed sporting equipment and my gardening supplies. It was old, it was dirty, and it looked like it would never again be used as a kitchen hutch, serving a family who loved the man who carefully crafted it.
Gone but not Forgotten
This month, our middle daughter, Katie, is transitioning from her first apartment to her first home. She has a large kitchen with a lot of space, but not a lot of storage. As she and I unpacked and set up the room, we quickly realized she was going to need more furniture and more cabinets or shelves. I had an idea…
When I got home, I asked Ken if he could help me clear off the old hutch and move it outside so I could clean it for Katie’s kitchen. His smile was large and bright as he nodded, saying, “My dad would be so happy for Katie and so tickled to have his hutch in her first house.” The next morning, we moved and trashed its contents and hauled it out into the back yard. I hosed it down and scrubbed it with Murphy’s Oil Soap, pleased to see the original shine was still there under all the dirt and grime. At lunchtime, we moved it into the house while Katie was at work. I started scouring Amazon for pieces to update it and make it even more useful.
By the end of the week, we had it sporting new features and loaded with kitchenware. With the addition of wine glass holders and drawer inserts, it was perfect for Katie’s kitchen. What started as just a piece of furniture made by a man we loved is now a family heirloom once again witnessing the beginning of a new life for itself and its owner.
Built With Love
Like the man who made it, this hutch is sturdy, strong, well-loved, and given a place of honor in our homes. The man who made it for me is no longer here on Earth, but I truly believe, like this old hutch, he is still there, standing nearby, looming in the shadows of all the events that take place from year to year, witnessing our lives and the lives of our children.
Poppy would be so proud of his granddaughter and all his grandchildren. Like the furniture he made, he built a strong and sturdy family. Like this old hutch, he will always be there, ever a part of each of us, sometimes at the forefront of our thoughts and sometimes just lingering nearby, but always standing in our hearts, for all the important events and seasons of our lives.
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