Saw marks. Below is a definition of saw marks. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of articles describing how to get rid of saw marks on old lumber or furniture. I do not want to get rid of these saw marks, I want to acknowledge them and appreciate them. You might be thinking, what a funny topic for me to bring up.
Today, as I looked at saw marks on old lumber, tears came to my eyes. You see, I have multiple sets of drawers and cubbies that were built by my grandfather, Joe.
Over the years my Grandpa built several homes. I do not remember being inside any of them. I do however, remember driving by 3 of them he built on Tyson Lane in Fremont, CA. My Grandpa was hard working, soft spoken, kind, brilliant and musically gifted; he could pick up any instrument and play. He could play any tune or song by ear. My grandfather's family was from Portugal, and quite possibly were looked down on for being migrants (legal migrants) and farm workers. My grandpa Joe, took the skills of a farm laborer, and bought land, planted crops and raised a family. My grandparents were wise with their money, hard working and dedicated. Grandpa, with some help from my dad, who was a boy at the time, built a home, moved into that one and built another until they had built "the big house" on Tyson Lane. During the construction phase, Grandpa built these drawers and cubbies, to hold, plumbing parts, electrical parts and many, many lag bolts (I still have some of them). These drawers and cubbies were built out of necessity. You didn't just run to Home Depot to grab what you needed for the day. You had to be prepared and organized. After Grandpa Joe passed away, my dad inherited the drawers and cubbies, which he used at times in our own garage and at times in his automotive shop.
As the years passed by, I always had such a special place in my heart for these drawers and cubbies. I inherited them a few years ago.
Recently, I have been setting up my workshop and decided to do a little clean up and touch up on the drawers and cubbies. There were 2 colors of faded paint on these, a grey and a mint green (very faint). My grandfather had numbered them and my dad had written words on many of them; ie. AC parts, carb parts, speedo cables, fuses, etc. To honor both my grandfather and my father, I left the numbers and the words and only lightly touched them with paint. I did paint the insides of the cubbies and added my tools, my supplies and my dreams to these drawers and cubbies. As I look at the saw marks on the lumber, I think of the man, whose name, Joseph, has been shared now for 5 generations, whose vision was brought to fruition and whose strong and gentle hands put saw marks on this lumber. Thank you Grandpa Joe, for giving, for sharing, and for teaching what living and loving is all about! I look forward to kissing your face when I get to heaven, but in the meantime, I will admire the saw marks you left behind!
This is also for Chase and Mathew
