The little french table
June 2 2024
Filly put her hands on the dark wood, smoothed by years of use. The cutting board table was bound by a strip of steel or some kind of metal around the corner, and the shape was square except the corner bounded by metal which was at an angle. The base was scalloped and the table was about two and a half feet long and about two feet wide.
Filly had learned that the butcher block table was old, probably from the late eighteenth century or early nineteenth century, and it was called french country. They had bought the table at an antique store, and had wanted to take it to Colorado, but when they put it in the kitchen at the end of the counter, Filly had not wanted to move it. It belonged!
The table belonged because it was strong, and had endured, like the people in her home. Filly could imagine the people over the years who had used the table in their kitchen, to prepare meals, with children playing at their feet and older ones sitting in chairs around the table drinking coffee or tea or milk.
The table was about eight inches shorter than the counter in her kitchen, and Filly imagined that people were getting taller over the years…bodies reaching for the sky, for inspiration and elevation.
Filly thought about the word elevation and how it is a word to describe the look of the front of a home. What it looks like on the outside. But she thought to herself that true elevation is something that comes from the inside, that is achieved from having goals to strive for and dreams to accomplish.
Having a family, teaching children right from wrong, and learning skills like cooking, art, music, dance, writing, and history, even learning math, can elevate someone.
Filly imagined that in the country of France, the place of origin for this butcher block table, the people who had used it, had beautiful juicy tomatoes, crisp celery, plump chicken and crusty bread, all things that got prepared for the family on it’s surface.
If the table was a character in “beauty and the beast”, like the teacup or the dresser or the candlestick, Filly imagined it dancing on its four sturdy little legs and saying “chop chop” lol. “hurry up lets go”…only saying it in french…”Dépêchez-vous, allons-y”.
No time to waste just standing there and touching the surface of the table…even though it was smooth, sturdy and conjured up great imaginations. Time to get busy preparing the feast. Food for the soul..harmony, joy, patience, integrity, compassion, resilience, purity, reliability and more… Soul food. Good stuff!!!