a piece of wood
mws
in the hands of a craftsman
madonna and child
Hands of a Craftsman
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Casting Shadows
One of my dad’s wood carving and morning shadows “So don’t be frightened, dear friend, if a sadness confronts you larger than any you have ever known, casting its shadow over all you do. You must think that something is happening within you, and remember that life has not forgotten you; it holds you in its hand and will not let you fall. Why would you want to exclude from your life any uneasiness, any pain, any depression, since you don’t know what work they are accomplishing within you?” – Letters to a Young Poet
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Back Home
Santa Wood Carving My sister and I arrived back in Colorado last night. I was home and in bed by about 11:00 pm. It was a wonderful time with my family. Good and plenty of food, laughter, and memories were shared.
This Santa has a unique story to him. We all worked on this Santa wood carving so we now have a tradition where he gets passed along with one of us for the year. Each Thanksgiving we pass him along to the next one for the coming year. So, Santa came home with me this year.
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Woodcarving
Two of my dads carvings. This is two of my dads carvings. The first one is two hearts connected at their base and carved from one piece of wood, Birdseye Maple. The carvings in the background are small elephants with intertwined trunks. This is my dads, creative outlet and a great form of therapy.
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Dad's Hands
Dad’s Swan I remember the first time I really noticed my dad’s hands. I’m not sure if he was holding me or if I was just sitting beside him. Their size was impressive as I was young at the time. I remember touching them and noticed how the wrinkles of age had begun to appear. They had worked hard for many years and they still do. My father learned from experience how to use his hands. He used them to work for a paycheck that provided shelter and food for his family. He used them to repair cars, repair and also build a house, make a toy gun from a piece of wood, plant and harvest a garden. He also used them to discipline his children. I remember the last time I felt the well deserved impact of his hands on my posterior. Later in life he would surprise me by using them to create wood carvings like the one you see above.
A few years back I looked down and realized my hands were starting to look like his. I’m proud of that. My hands are not identical to his nor do they not have the same strength, talents or gifts as his but they have his imprint on them. Today is my dad’s 80th birthday. He still walks everyday and stays in very good physical condition. He’s also pretty sharp between the ears, too! I love you, dad, because of your strengths and your weaknesses and because you have shared your hands with me.
Happy Birthday Dad!
