I have a piece of furniture that was shipped to me by my father when my grandmother passed away many years ago. It’s a beautiful antique William and Mary style walnut sideboard. I remember it as a child visiting them. It always captured my attention as it sat in their immaculate modest dining room. I loved opening  it with the dangling teardrop pulls centered on the polished doors, and hearing the solid “click” when shutting it, the sound of a well built piece.  There was always the latest model of an Air Force plane that adorned the top of the sideboad that my father had sent them. The B-36 was my favorite, lots of propellers to spin. My Dad was an Air Force officer and pilot and loved to fly. My grandparents were very proud of him. ( click on photos to enlarge)

While dusting the sideboard the other day, I was thinking about its origins.  Some thoughts popped in my head about my father as a little boy playing with his toy airplane. Maybe using the top of the sideboard as a eye-level runway to fantasize about his dream of becoming a pilot. Then, I could hear my Grandmother say, in her Jersey Irish brogue ” Now Collie, (his name was Carl, but that’s what she called him) take care not to scratch the sideboard young man”. She was particular about her unpretentious,  but always meticulous home.

If you have a special family piece that has been passed down through generations, make sure you document or tell all the stories that go with it, and how the piece has enriched your life. Your children will love to hear its family history and it will tie them to the generations before them. My daughter will get the sideboard. It doesn’t mean much to her now (not her style), but with a few polishings, dusting and tender care…it will speak to her as well.

With Father’s Day approaching,  thoughts turn to our fathers and memories surface that stay with us forever. My father is gone now, but whenever I see a plane in the sky and notice a little dip of the wing. I know he’s up there, at the controls, enjoying the ride and letting me know he’s there.

Have a wonderful Father’s Day and remember Dad…I will.