Flashback to my childhood and my style influences . . . While I love that my mother usually has unique taste in decorating and trends, there is one thing that is always consistent in her style. Black. My mother doesn't like color. Just the opposite actually. Everything growing up in my home was ultra-contemporary and consisted of pieces that were only black, white or a neutral tan. So does the old "rebellion against your parents" saying apply to decorating?? In this case, I think so. My favorite colors for decorating are white, pink and green. and for furniture, well I prefer a beautiful vintage mahogany finish.
So why do my mother's decorating decisions apply to this story you might ask? Well, my mother prides herself on simplicity. She believes in "tossing" anything that doesn't have a place or isn't being used. This is also the same woman who is proud to boast that she was able to keep everything significant from my 18-year childhood labeled by grade and year in manilla envelopes and in one single box. Sweet, huh?! We don't do family photos and there are no holiday cards on the fridge. You'll never see her doting on me or cuddling or doing girly things. It's just how she is. But even though she's not very verbal in her affection, and lacks enthusiasm about anything sentimental or girly, I have never doubted her adoration and love for me.
A few weeks ago when I was at my parents house, I mentioned my decorating woes and recalled a little antique desk that we used to have in a guest bedroom in my childhood home that would have been "just perfect" for a small space in my new bedroom. Now when I was a child, I couldn't stand this desk. It was creaky and old and I always wondered why she didn't just toss it out. God knows we had enough new, contemporary furniture (complete with their sharp edges and black finishes). And then it happened, without missing a beat, my mother walked me over to a small hidden storage area upstairs in their home and opened the door. Oh my god! It was the beautiful creaky wood desk and matching chair that I remembered from over 25 years ago. It had been "distressed" all on it's own through years of aging and it was exactly what I was looking for!
She didn't get all weepy-eyed, or give me a hug. It's just not her way of handling things that are sentimental. She simply said, "Well you mentioned when you were little that you liked it, and I thought you may want it one day for your own home."
I later learned from my father that it was a desk that was hand-made and was my great, great grandmother's. So while I didn't know they had it all these years later, and my mother didn't say a word about it, I learned that maybe I understand just how much she really loves me. And I learned that sometimes you don't need words to tell someone exactly how much you love them!
No comments:
Post a Comment