My Father's Gift

My Dad has a gift...actually he has many. But the one I'm talking about today is his gift for creating beauty out of something ordinary. He turns old stumps, scrap wood, and salvaged wood into these absolutely breathtaking pieces of art. He is a self taught man. When he gets an idea in his mind...he will find a way to make it happen. He's good like that. Literally, he can do anything! He has taught himself so many things, it really amazes me. Let's see...he built a barn, added a huge room onto the house, taught himself the art of woodworking, photography, handcrafted the most beautiful mantle from scratch for me, built numerous pieces of furniture, married a perfect woman, raised 5 imperfect kids, he's a teacher, a giver, a father, and a friend. I love him so much and feel so blessed to have him as my dad. And each time I look at one of the bowls he's made...I feel that love ten fold! He takes great care to craft these one of a kind pieces of art and spends hours working on each one. There is a lot of love in these bowls. That's just like my dad. He is full of love...and selflessness. He is one of a kind, just like these bowls!

This is my absolute favorite. The imperfections really speak to me.

So beautiful.

Every so often he'll say...ok, everybody pick a bowl. And we all scramble like little kids to get in line. It is such a thrill every time he wants to share them with us. We feel privileged. I treasure each and every one that he's given me. This is my collection so far.

He writes or carves on the bottom of each piece what type of wood he used, the year, and his name.

Priceless.




This one reads..."cedar mantle piece & 2x scrap"
This is the popcorn bowl he made for my Grandpa...his Dad. And how honored am I to have it now? A real family heirloom.

I love and admire my Dad so very much. I am grateful that he passed his love for reading writing, and the creative arts on to me. He never pushed anything on us kids, but encouraged us to be ourselves. And always with unconditional love. I hope that I can be half the parent to my kids that he's been to me and my siblings. As I make this uncertain (and thankfully temporary) journey into single parenthood, I will look to his and my mother's example. They were and still are the most loving, kind, and genuine examples of what a parent should be. And I am so blessed to be their daughter!