a cabinet, a key and a birthday
I have a china cabinet. It is an antique, a gift from my Grandma Wilma. It sits in my dining room where I see it every day. It is unique, in that it has rounded glass in it. Often, I gasp in horror if the kids or the dogs bang into it because I don't know if we can even replace this glass in this cabinet.
As a child, this cabinet was in my mom's bedroom. Within it, there were my tea cup/saucer/spoon collection as well as my mom's delicate china. My grandma bought most of my tea cup/saucer/spoon collection. My job, regularly, was to take everything out of the china cabinet and dust the shelves and then replace all the pretty things. I knew that my Grandma meant for me to have the china cabinet. We had talked about it together....but I don't know if we ever talked about it with.....mom.
Once I finally, after 28 years, had my own stable home, I asked my mom for the china cabinet. It was mine, afterall. She was aghast. What? My china hutch? No mom.....Grandma said it was mine....so we asked her....and I was right. My mom was a bit miffed because she had been keeping all of HER pretty things in there for a few decades. Like I said......I don't know if Grandma or I had ever actually told her it was mine and she was,well, just borrowing it. Mom reluctantly turned it over and bought a different one and cautioned me to be careful because it was very fragile.
Who in their right mind would give me something antique and fragile anyway. Seriously.
In the 20 years that I have been married, this china cabinet has become home to my holiday dishes and other special china. My mom purchased most of it, ironically, and it sits in my dining room to enjoy always. There is a very old copper key that opens the china cabinet. For 20 plus years, and decades beyond that.....the key has set on top of the china cabinet. Seasonally I change the decor on top of the cabinet but the copper key remains on top. Safe.
Today is my mom's birthday. We invited her and extended family over for dinner this Sunday night. We made ham and cheezy hash browns and carrots and banana bread and appetizers and we had cake. Claire vacuumed. The boys set out extra chairs and picked up. We made 2 trips to walmart for festive things......and as mom and my auntie and family arrived, I went to open the cabinet to set the table with my beautiful holiday china. No Key.
What? Seriously? Where was the key. Um. Precious?.......So Precious went to her coin box....and dug for the key cuz she was sure it was in there. It wasn't. She couldn't remember where she put it after she had it in the coin box. Because, well, her brain spins very, very fast. I was mad and frustrated and disgusted and annoyed but we moved on. After a couple hours, as dinner was done and we were all just lounging around the table talking, she came bouncing into the dining room with The Key! she found it in her coin purse in the basement. of course. coin box....coin purse....basement.....kabang.
The key is back. I can open my china cabinet now and set out my pretty holiday dishes and remember. Grandma is likely smiling from Heaven, because I think she would find it lovely that the key was lost and then found by this little fire cracker.....on the birthday of her firstborn....with multiple generations gathered around the dining room table enjoying celebration and food and fellowship.
It may be just a china cabinet....but really.....to me.....its much more.
As a child, this cabinet was in my mom's bedroom. Within it, there were my tea cup/saucer/spoon collection as well as my mom's delicate china. My grandma bought most of my tea cup/saucer/spoon collection. My job, regularly, was to take everything out of the china cabinet and dust the shelves and then replace all the pretty things. I knew that my Grandma meant for me to have the china cabinet. We had talked about it together....but I don't know if we ever talked about it with.....mom.
Once I finally, after 28 years, had my own stable home, I asked my mom for the china cabinet. It was mine, afterall. She was aghast. What? My china hutch? No mom.....Grandma said it was mine....so we asked her....and I was right. My mom was a bit miffed because she had been keeping all of HER pretty things in there for a few decades. Like I said......I don't know if Grandma or I had ever actually told her it was mine and she was,well, just borrowing it. Mom reluctantly turned it over and bought a different one and cautioned me to be careful because it was very fragile.
Who in their right mind would give me something antique and fragile anyway. Seriously.
In the 20 years that I have been married, this china cabinet has become home to my holiday dishes and other special china. My mom purchased most of it, ironically, and it sits in my dining room to enjoy always. There is a very old copper key that opens the china cabinet. For 20 plus years, and decades beyond that.....the key has set on top of the china cabinet. Seasonally I change the decor on top of the cabinet but the copper key remains on top. Safe.
Today is my mom's birthday. We invited her and extended family over for dinner this Sunday night. We made ham and cheezy hash browns and carrots and banana bread and appetizers and we had cake. Claire vacuumed. The boys set out extra chairs and picked up. We made 2 trips to walmart for festive things......and as mom and my auntie and family arrived, I went to open the cabinet to set the table with my beautiful holiday china. No Key.
What? Seriously? Where was the key. Um. Precious?.......So Precious went to her coin box....and dug for the key cuz she was sure it was in there. It wasn't. She couldn't remember where she put it after she had it in the coin box. Because, well, her brain spins very, very fast. I was mad and frustrated and disgusted and annoyed but we moved on. After a couple hours, as dinner was done and we were all just lounging around the table talking, she came bouncing into the dining room with The Key! she found it in her coin purse in the basement. of course. coin box....coin purse....basement.....kabang.
The key is back. I can open my china cabinet now and set out my pretty holiday dishes and remember. Grandma is likely smiling from Heaven, because I think she would find it lovely that the key was lost and then found by this little fire cracker.....on the birthday of her firstborn....with multiple generations gathered around the dining room table enjoying celebration and food and fellowship.
It may be just a china cabinet....but really.....to me.....its much more.
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