Elbow Grease and Damp Eyes....

When my mom and dad got married her brother gave them a desk for a wedding gift. It was a prized possession where my dad studied for his college degree after coming home from serving in WWII. After they moved from their Chicago apartment to the first house in Park Ridge the desk came along....I was in kindergarten so don't know where it sat, but probably the living room. Then it migrated to a larger home across town and finally, after my dad left and they divorced, into the small home where Mom lived until she died. At that point the desk was in the semi-finished basement room and didn't get much use at all.

When we got back from our sailing adventure and prepared to live "on dirt" we needed furniture. Mom said we could take the desk so it has been in our apartments/home/condo where we've used it almost every day.

I realized awhile back that the leather inserts on the top were drying out and fading and the wood along the top edges was also discolored. Resting our hands on the edge to use the computer keyboard took a toll. 

An antique dealer recommended a special leather "refresher" and a polish so I bought them both and added DESK to Dave's to-do list. The task remained on the list until yesterday. While I was out he took the supplies, a few rags and the time to little by little wipe, clean,  polish, refurbish the desk.

I walked in to print a meeting agenda early this morning and a brand new "old" friend greeted me. I sat down and was surprised that my eyes got wet and my chest felt "full". Why this reaction to something we've had since 2002.....just sitting at our new desk made me think back to my mom and what this first good piece of furniture meant to her.

It's hard to see the difference in my poor photograph, but the leather is soft and happy and the wood gleams. She would be so happy and even as I write this I have that huge lump in my throat. Thanks mom and thanks to Uncle Marty for providing a young couple with this so many years ago. We'll take better care of it now.