The Scars are Part of the Beauty

At the time, I suspect someone was very unhappy with that spot. Now, it’s simply part of the table’s story.

Last weekend, I asked my hubby to drag our kitchen table out into the garage. It’s an old farmhouse table that was long overdue for some tlc. The table has a cool history. My hubby’s granddaddy built it for his growing family, back before my mother-in-law was even born.

That table has had countless meals served upon it and there’s no telling how many conversations. Over the years, there would have been discussions of the Great Depression by the folks sitting around it as well as talk of World War II and the Kennedy Assassination.

I’ve no doubt, that thousands of prayers have been lifted up in its presence.

My hubby and I have had that table for some 21 years now and our own family has added to its history, including the glitter that got in its cracks while my Mama was helping my children with some Christmas crafts.

Some years back, in an effort to preserve it, I put a coat of a water based sealer on it. Unfortunately, after years of wiping it down before and after dinner, the finish became sticky and napkins and any other type of paper would stick to it.

I tried a simple fix early last summer, of sanding it. It didn’t work, so I had to resort to more drastic measures. I had to actually strip it and sand it and then reseal it with an oil based product.

As I was working on the table over the weekend, I marveled at all of the nicks and scratches. There’s a dark black spot on it, that my hubby says was always there. I wouldn’t dream of trying to remove it. I’m not sure I could if I wanted to. For me, it along with all of the other scars, adds to the table’s story and beauty. It makes it unique.

But, I’ll bet my hubby’s grandmother was furious when it happened. I mean, it’s a huge black spot. She couldn’t have possibly known how long that table would be around or thought about the roll it would play in the lives of her great-grandchildren, who she would never even meet.

As I was coating the table with polyurethane, I thought about how we all have spots, and dings, and scars, like that table. They come from simply living.

Sometimes we try to deny them and hide them, and when we got them, we most likely could see no good coming from them. But those scars add to our beauty. They helped to shape who we are. They help us reach out to others along the way, who can benefit from our wisdom.

And who knows, some of those lessons learned, may actually filter down to our own great-grandchildren.

A beautiful old table reminded me to embrace who we are and where we’ve been, scars and all, and to remember that those scars and scratches come from living a long life. Not everyone gets that blessing. Perhaps you needed reminding today.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂