Ep. 83 HOW TO REFINISH an Old DINING TABLE

[@MadCityModern]

I have enjoyed reading all of the comments regarding your own memories around the dinner table. Thank you for sharing. To be clear, most of the comments in this video were memories shared by other viewers. I do not have a husband, and I do not have children. Sorry for any confusion. As always, thank you for your support, and do not reply to any GIVEAWAYS in the comments section. These are Scams. See you in the next video. Barry

[@alohamom2380]

Minute marker 1:56- were you the "Barry- 16 mo" named in the photo?😊You've taught us very well to pay close attention to details in your videos! 😄

[@kristinjacobsen3417]

Thanks for clarifying I guess I was confused. This was a fabulous video with your work and everyone's stories. Thank you for sharing your skill and your heart with us.

[@Paula_YTube]

Haha for a second I was in a such good trip listening your video, that I ended up imagining you and your husband adopting 2 babies and (that's why you) have to make room for 4 in the table. 😂 As always, your video was just right. A bless! ❤

[@marycarre6748]

We were a family of 10. 4 kids set on a bench on one side and the oldest 4 in chairs on the other with mom and dad on each end. As we got older, all of us would bring friends. That old table sat 20 people. If we had more, mom brought out the card tables. There was always more food than we could eat and mom always made a cake or pies. She passed in October of 2020. She was 93 years young and always helped in th kitchen. I miss her tremendously.

[@ravengateley7677]

What a beautiful story, I love the imagine of a big family sharing around the table. I am sorry to hear that your mother has passed, it sounds like she was a delight. I know you must miss her cakes and pies and her cooking in general. I hope you were able to get her recipes so that you can keep sharing those memories.

[@MadCityModern]

Few may actually see this response, but this is exactly why I make these videos. I am so moved by hearing other people's stories. This is such a wonderful community and I am glad to be a part of it. Thank you for sharing your memories. Barry

[@cwpowell9453]

​@@MadCityModern❤

[@jeanlubrano9412]

Oh how I miss family dinners. I miss my family. Not many left and you brought tears to my eyes.

[@MadCityModern]

Thank you for this

[@marywiklander-williams6493]

Dining around the table is the best of all. I always offered evening meals around the table no matter where my little family lived ( Germany, Turkey, France, Germany and Brussels). Even if there was only my husband, daughter and myself. Entertaining and offering a meal to guests is my favourite way to treat friends. Now, I host my partner's two sons and their wives. Dinner's can take hours. We started 'blackboard dinners' where the menu is posted on a child's blackboard. Now everyone wants a blackboard dinner on special occasions. Inspiration for my 'feeding' people is the film Babette's Feast. You absolutely will want to see this award winning Danish film (with English subtitles)

[@lofromfrance6478]

Your voice is the most calming thing there is THANK YOU watching your videos makes me so zen❤❤❤❤

[@benjammin187]

Rumor has it the brother is still sitting at the table not eating his vegetables.

[@MadCityModern]

32 years later, 25 more bites to go

[@JayRickard]

Wish I had idyllic memories around the dining room table with my family, but they are just the opposite. Working hard to make sure I change that for my daughter. What a timely topic for me, you've no idea. Thank you and a lovely restoration as always!

[@MadCityModern]

I really appreciate this

[@bluemountainsgirl]

ditto ❤

[@cindyg5969]

I had a rule, no parenting at the dinner table. We chat, laugh, but no lectures.

[@s.fuhrmann]

Same here.

[@karencooper9185]

You did it again, brought a tear to my eyes, a chill down my spine, and made my heart sing! God has blessed you with many talents, made evident to all of us through this channel, but perhaps the most special is your gift of touching our souls through storytelling. The sharing of food, family, togetherness, and most importantly giving grace to God Almighty for his blessings are SO VERY IMPORTANT in this moment in time. Not only for us to heal from the atrocities of the past couple of years, but to reconnect, heal, and prosper moving forward. Something and simple as sitting down at a table with family and friends to break bread and reconnect is paramount for everyone! Who knew that a furniture restoration channel host would inspire and influence so many to reevaluate the importance of something as basic as a dining table. KUDOS Barry! You give us "older" folks out here hope for the future, that core values, principles, and reverence is not gone, and that you are/will be passing them on to the next generation. May GOD continue to bless and watch over you. Congratulations on yet another beautiful restoration!!! ❤

[@fraserwrobb3075]

A beautiful table, and a beautiful tale. You made that wood glow as warmly as the memories of the viewers you shared

[@MadCityModern]

Loved your contribution to this project

[@Annaklaranna]

Thank you Barry for sharing about yourself and your family❤🧡💛💚💙💜Sending big love ❤

[@Porkydogs13]

Your story made me cry because the memories of my dining table are long gone.

[@guy4462]

My husband and I, before he passed away, would always eat supper at the dining room table.

[@Afireonthesnow]

You are the most touching and zen restoration channel out there. Every video is filled withv so much empathy and gratitude ❤

[@Quidnunc777]

The chair turned out really well. I love the tonal variations that shellac provides.

[@marciacampos9966]

Beautiful memories. Your question is so relevant!

[@marilynyarbrough7951]

I’m blessed to be of deep Sicilian heritage. My most cherished memories come from our meals. Every evening, no matter what, we shared a family meal. Breakfast as well! And we were a fam of six. Whew. And, we had many extended fam meals, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, no less than 30 peeps, many times throughout the year, and not just holidays. I am who I am because of these beautiful family gatherings. I truly feel these gatherings were the actual glue that held us all together, our moral fiber. Barry, thank you for sharing your precious moments with us. You are a true treasure, not to mention a great furniture historian and restorer. God bless you and your family.

[@radiohill]

I didn't intend to start my day tearing up at breakfast, but that's what happened. Such a sweet story. So sorry for your loss but thank you for the gift of sharing this story. So beautiful. A full circle.

[@emilyjohnson3956]

My moments are when it's dinner time with family and playing footsie under the table during prayer😅

[@bluemountainsgirl]

The first ever furniture resto video that's made me cry 😢 At the 8:30 mark I lost it. My dinner table growing up was nothing like the lovely positive stories you read. Mine were mostly painful argumentative experiences that I wish to forget. A familial pattern I broke with my own children who now cherish every dinner with their parents when they visit. Thank you Barry for another peaceful and positive video. 😊

[@alexandra_sa_lazer]

I lovingly recall family dinners around the table- at the children’s home where I spent some of my youth. It felt safe. My new family listened to me. The meals were cooked by the housekeeper Mrs. Ramirez. She may have been an employee, but you could feel the love in her food. That dining table was midcentury style in a sprawling midcentury ranch. I recently connected the dots and realized that’s why I love the furniture and architecture so much.

[@MadCityModern]

This is so special❤

[@joyceclark8476]

Oh Barry, your video was just as beautiful as that table turned out. I need a Kleenex to dry my happy tears of all the beautiful memories around my Dad and Mom’s, our family table. My Mom just turned 88 years old and we still sit at her table for coffee and donuts. My Dad passed in 2007, what was his last Father’s Day we sat at the table and I gave him a scratch off ticket. It was a 12,000.00 winner. My Dad worked 3 jobs to give his family what they wanted. At that instant the money memory was the best. Don’t get me wrong, love, food, birth, deaths , laughs and prayers happened at that table but, for once it was all about him. Thank you for this wonderful video. This time you have uplifted me. Joyce ❤️🙏🇺🇸

[@Richie8a8y]

That’s Awesome Joyce! The Win on Father’s Day ❤️🇺🇸🙏🏻

[@taylorvanbuskirk8040]

Yes, family dinners around the table are still important. In fact, they're the foundation of who we are today.

[@PhillipN10AC]

Another beautiful video and another stunning restoration, Barry!!

[@christinebrady6842]

What beautiful memories, shared around a beautiful table restoration. ♥

[@caroltanzi29]

Barry: The kitchen or dining room table were always a way for our family to gather together and laugh. Being Italian, the holiday gatherings usually went on for hours. Everyone eating, laughing and eating more. What wonderful memories. This video put a smile on my face. Thank you. Carol from California

[@donnie7578]

Unlike you Barry ...I didn't have a good time at the dinner table growing up but, it makes me feel good that there is still Love in this world and good memories at the table no matter what meal you are having.

[@greghodgson8619]

Husband! I watch all your videos and often wondered. You seem to care about what you do and the emotional connection to the pieces you handle. Good for you. Been married to my husband for 19 years. Great Channel.

[@MadCityModern]

So good!

[@danielkoher1944]

I was the youngest and I sat many hours trying to eat beans. Then my youngest sister taught me the fine art of holding it in my mouth. Then hurrying the bathroom 🚽 to spit them out. Absolutely correct I would tell my sisters stories. ‘That’s because they told you everything, you were the youngest!’ 😟 No, I was actually interested, listened, and asked questions. I loved 🥰 elderly people and their stories. I was fortunate enough to have both sets of Grandparents and my Favourite Aunt. Within walking distance... I miss those days. Which is a Beautiful thing.

[@missymakesdomeredith8072]

Thank you for acknowledging that not everyone has good childhood/family memories, I envy those who do, but I don't look for sympathy as the things I went through are important to who I am today. I love your table and all your restorations, and saving the beautiful furniture for those that will appreciate it and make memories of their own with it.

[@Petesdaughter2]

More than half of my husband's (& his siblings') hilarious stories are from sitting around the dining table. There were 7 kids in his family..so always a party (or a brawl)..lol Also, even after we got married, his dad would sit at the table with all of us and tell these long, detailed stories that kept you glued to your seat..only to die laughing when you realized there was a punchline. Dining tables can be tragic AND magical. Thanks for this video!

[@lynettebrown1801]

Thank for this video. It made me cry. Eating as a family together is so important.

[@taylorvanbuskirk8040]

After watching this video, and hearing you talk about life and family, I want to know you more. I think you are "quality" people...a person with depth and substance.

[@tammywillgohs5514]

Oh my, this video made me cry thinking back on all our times around the table.

[@JC-gf5vv]

I live alone now, which makes family gatherings even more precious than the nightly gatherings around the table when our children were growing up. Thanks for a reminder of of how important those times can be, regardless of the make-up of your family or your current circumstances.

[@upup329]

A beautiful story, and a great restoration work. Nice when you say: "Family is everything" Well Done. Cheers from Italy ;-)

[@normanmonks8994]

Barry, thank you for your sensitiveness, openness, and for the way you connect to your viewers. And yes, I do wish that it was possible to once again sit around the table with my brothers and Mum and Dad. Greetings from Zimbabwe

[@vickiel914]

I remember family dinners around a dining table. Coming from a broken family, I had dinners at moms table and at dad's table. Also had meals at grandparents kids dining table. When my family grew to 5 kids, it was easier to just stay home and make our own family memories around our own dining table. With his, hers and ours kids, we had a revolving door of which ever kids were home. That made it difficult, but we did what we could to have family meals every night. It's hard to eloquently type it all out. Good times and bad times, sad times, happy times, friends, family. We outgrew that table sadly, but my husband made a huge table that we still have to have a card table set up as all kids and their spouses, and grandchildren and assorted other family can be well over 20 people. Its a madhouse, and we get overwhelmed and love every minute of it. 😊

[@monicaluketich6913]

A couple of years ago, I purchased a drop leaf table similar to the one you showed. Unfortunately, the resale shop did not have the leaves for it, but considering that there is only me in the house, I don't need the leaves. I did refinish the top after I got it. Yes, Mom cooked all the meals (1950s and 60s), but our favorite time was at Mom's parents' house. For Orthodox Christmas and Easter, all of Mom's 6 siblings, in-laws and cousins, would invade Grandma's 4 room house. Luckily, some of the families would come at various times, but us cousins had our favorite places to sit. My one cousin and I would sit on the steps leading to the attic to keep the younger children from getting hurt. Grandma had a dining room and table, but it was never used: just the porcelain kitchen table. The men ate first, then the children, and finally, the women, who would wash all the dishes, nibble on the leftovers, and talk. If you got hungry, there was more food down in the basement where it was cool. I'm now 67 yrs old and have lost all of those people and never hear from the cousins since I'm in a different state (23 hr drive). But your table brings back so many memories that I can not recreate now by myself. Thank you for reminding me of good times and good food, with tears in my eyes.

[@mellymel1100]

I didn't have all those cherished memories, but I thank you for sharing yours, and some of your other followers. You did a fabulous job with the table!

[@markwagner4909]

Beautiful story. I have had many family dinners (8 of us growing up) fun times. I don’t recall any sad times at dinner not even fighting over eating vegetables 😊because there was so much love at our table growing up, my partner and I fix meals and invite single friends that don’t have family members here and we always send them home with an extra meal

[@lauris5708]

What a beautiful table. Back when I was a child, my mom got an old round oak table from a relative. She sanded it off and refinished it, and that's where we ate all of our meals as a family. She still has that table today, over 60 years later. I think it has the same coat of polyurethane on it! Lots of good memories.

[@MadCityModern]

Thank you so much for sharing this

[@ajnormandgroome]

Thank you for this video.

[@MrHeadbanger366]

I have fond memories of dinner around my grandmother's table on holidays.

[@audrey04021]

Barry, you never cease to move me. With this one you have made me weep in a happy/poignant way. Sharing all those lovely stories is beyond poetic. Brilliant job. ❤

[@mojoholo9529]

Family dinners are probably more important now than ever, but busy lives make them difficult to achieve. Good food and good company are one of the best, most enjoyable combinations this life has to give. Love your work, Barry. I love the stories, too.

[@MadCityModern]

Love this

[@birdy-numnum6321]

Love this comment too ❤

[@beverlyness7954]

My Mom also considered 'food is love'. We always had meals together around our table. My parents owned that table for close to 60 years before they passed away. I always made sure my young family had dinner around our table as well. I feel a dining table is very important, and well used. I hadn't thought about it until now, but that's why I'm have trouble letting go of the one I used when my children were growing up. But I've downsized and my home is too small for my dining table. I'd like to find someone who would love to have my beautiful antique oak table for their family, who will cherish it as I always have.

[@bjbailey12]

I really enjoy hearing about your family while watching your beautiful restorations. Thanks for sharing.

[@WilldoAldone]

Beautiful Lane table. Finish looks great.Thank you Barry for your great channel. It's more than just refinishing, it's a time to be thankful and greatful for life.

[@ceeviking5713]

The dining table is an important place in a home. I inherited my Aunt’s dining set in 1990 and still use it daily. I remember her taking pride in this set, and using it when company or family came for dinner. I decided that it should be used every day in my house and continue to have great memories and meals shared here in my dining room. Family and friends come together at meals, especially when sharing food and memories is an important memory in our lives.

[@colleenuchiyama4916]

Wow, Barry, you read my thing out loud. If you have time, go down to Gratiot (in Lafayette co. Off highway 11). This is my best place ever. And you knocked this episode out of the park.

[@Ladybug-uf7uh]

God love and keep you and yours, Barry. Dinner Table. What an important place in the home: my children revere the time spent with their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins at the Dinner Table. Thank the Father in Heaven that I had a Dinner Table in my home to catch up with my children. Today, family dinners are rare, but held in deep love and deep memories. Thank you for this lovely video.

[@fiberotter]

Ahhh...the memories you invoked. The best times always revolved around family and the table. Grandma's for holidays, or big family reunions with a room stuffed with aunts, uncles, cousins. I have had great times with my own little family. The boys growing up, bringing friends, then girlfriends, then wives and kids. Holidays with the ladies hanging around the table telling funny stories. It never fails to happen, that when my little sister and I get together, we laugh until tears.....and runs to the bathroom. Thanks Barry. It has been a depressing week that I have been working on dragging myself out of.

[@SusieMonk-jh8tj]

Barry you make my day with your wonderful stories and fabulous transformations!. Happy memories of dinners round the table mostly are of our new life in France. My favourite was inviting some German friends along with French and Brits. The lady asked a French friend..but what will we eat? They are English!! We always laugh when we see each other❤❤❤

[@louishall4271]

Sadly, I never had the opportunity to have children. So, my memories of my own childhood around that kitchen table, are precious. They weren't all golden or great, but Mom and Pop loved us. There was always food to eat, stories of the Great Depression and WWII. I miss those times with all my heart.

[@furlvr1961]

Beautiful table. ❤ I agree. Your commentary is spot on! ❤🧡💛💚💙💜

[@lfuentes4098]

What a beautiful table and tribute to family meals. Wether they take place at a table, a counter or on the go in the car, hopefully they are a time to come together and share your day.

[@robflynn5682]

Well, the only people we need in our life are individuals who show us they want us in theirs. So, I´m waving to everyone who´s surrounding already and thank you for the invitation to have a seat on your beautiful table, Barry! ;)

[@diysbydar]

Just beautiful, besutiful piece of wood.

[@loch1957]

At 66 I live alone, kids are grown and moved away. Wife has long passed. I still eat my meals at the same table. Some times you can almost hear the laughter and the prayers before a meal. The table is a way of binding a family together. Thanks for the memories.

[@MarkADavisAZ]

❤❤❤ My husband and I always have dinner in the dining room, and I love that we can reconnect.

[@manonmassari7771]

Ours wasn't just a dining table. There were eight siblings, and after meals that table became the center for table games and crafts. A huge, beautiful solid oak Dutch style table and matching chairs. Every little ink stain or scratch told it's story of all those bygone years and happy memories.

[@timothyarchie320]

I love your channel. This video really touched me. When I was younger we would go to my grandparents house after church on Sundays. My grandmother wasn't well and lived in a hospital, but she would come home for a few hours on Sundays to have dinner with us. It was always the same thing, roast beef with potatoes and carrots, my grandfather could prepare and stick it in the oven while he drove the long drive to the hospital. There was always ice cream for dessert. We'd give my grandmother a double scoop and she'd say, oh my gosh, I can't eat all that. It was the same every week, but we laughed every time. It's one of my favorite memories of my childhood.

[@karenbartlett9265]

Definitely one of my favorites of yours. Brought back a lot of memories. Your younger brother and I are very similar. There were times I was at the dinner table until seven or eight at night not eating in my vegetables… 🙄 My dog at the time was not a fan either. We had breakfast and dinner every day at the dining table. Being from Wisconsin my father would quiz us kids on the Packers, name, position and number. My mother on the other hand would quiz us on states and capitals! I can still name most of them.😊

[@CocoJo445]

Barry, absolutely beautiful.

[@MadCityModern]

Thank you

[@Mattysings]

Love your content! My partner and I always look forward to your videos and furniture adventures.

[@rachealsmith5138]

What a neat story! I enjoyed the comments from others about their experiences. Beautiful table and beautiful restoration!

[@carolynward5567]

Actually watching the video made me cry. Family dinners have shrunk for us.Our oldest daughter moved out of state for a job, and we lost our youngest daughter to complications from her battle with cancer last November.

[@SisterShirley]

Carolyn, may the Lord continue to shine His perpetual light upon your daughter in heaven. May the Angels surround your daughter working out of state so she may be protected. Amen.

[@lyndseybeaumont7301]

I so wish my family were still here to sit around my table. These days I sit there alone, but I have so many wonderful memories to think about as I do so. X

[@CrazyCatLady1968]

Barry you really should have taken over for Garrison Keeler when he retired 😊 I had never thought about how important the role of The Table has been in my life - all the laughter and all the tears at tables from home in Iowa (that my dad refinished - it was a massive, highly detailed beauty too - he passed 5 years ago this month) to tables of family in Florida and Texas ❤

[@siobhanjones6313]

I always made it a point that we ate together as a family when my children were growing up. My eldest is now married with three boys, and they do the same. My son manages to frequently show up just in time for supper, even when he doesn't know what time it is being served. I live with my youngest, and her two children. Most nights we have dinner together. My 7 year old granddaughter has expressed she does not understand why we have to eat together at the table, because she would rather eat watching tv. However, not too long ago, the children in her class were asked to write some of the favorite things they like to do. Near the top of the list was, "Having my family eat dinner together every night." Incidentally, I was cooking our dinner when this video came on. Thank you for making your videos unique, and special.

[@junkman352]

The table is beautiful.

[@greghodgson8619]

This video has made me a little emotional. My husband was a fundamental Christian, raised in Arkansas, Little Rock. Moved to London UK to be with me 19 years ago. Now retired we bought an old Watermill in Wales 3 months ago. I bought an antique Pembrokeshire Dining Table for our kitchen to have breakfast together each morning........

[@MadCityModern]

Thank you for sharing this

[@Mudjie50]

My memories from around the table growing up are not pleasant. I did however try to be sure to make it a happy place when I had a child. Our family is very small but we have wonderful times around the table eating the food we have prepared. Thank you for such a beautiful video.!

[@jekku4688]

Beautiful story. Beautiful table! Beautiful work you do!

[@johanns.5062]

When I was small my dad had to work a lot so coming around the table for dinner and sunday breakfast and eat his amazing fish soup or the fried eggs he would make for us were some of the closests moments me and my sisters had with him as children. After my parents renovated their home, they stored the old oak table for us in the Garage so one day one of us could cook for our children around it. I never thought about a piece of furniture like this before this video and it made me tear up. Thank you for everyone that shared their stories!

[@sallypettit7156]

I find your channel so soothing. I lived in Madison for 15 years for work. Transferred back out 10 years ago. I miss it terribly. Now, I am missing my childhood with my grandma and family.

[@jeffreymiller1630]

Beautiful video, Barry--as usual. Dinner around the table when I was a child could be the best of times--with laughter, life stories, reports of the day, etc. It could also be the worst of times--like when my mother made liver and onions, which I detested and was forced to eat, despite my protestations, gagging, etc. But here I am telling the tale 70 years later, so we push on, even when all the table has to offer is liver and onions.

[@christinebrennan4484]

OMG, I just started the video and you are in Alta Vista!!! That view makes me a little homesick. Thanks for the smile on my face and warmth in my heart!

[@laurenceboischot4265]

I'm one of those for whom family dinners were a painful ordeal - and not because of endless vegetables. Thank you for inviting us at your much happier table. ❤

[@kristinjacobsen3417]

My husband and i even just the two of us always sat at the dinner table to eat at the end of the day. We'd set the table nicely with placemats and a full set of silverware. We'd eat and talk about our day. I just lost him 3 weeks ago. It is so empty without him.

[@carol.luna.stella]

May God bless you

[@slbarbieri1725]

My husband and I have three daughters. We all sat at the kitchen table for every dinner as they were small. Then life happened. This one had practice until 7, that one works from 4 to close, and schedules hardly ever allowed it. We tried to do Sunday breakfast, until I went back to work in retail. Now it's a rare occasion when we can all sit down together for a proper meal. Holidays and birthdays are still a must though, and always will be.

[@1975dlawson]

It's just a lovely story with this one, Barry. There is something sacred about sharing a meal with family and friends at your table.

[@JJSoileau]

Our family dining table is still in my own dining table. Circa 1978, solid oak pedestal table with four chairs. I recently refinished it, and I plan to pass it down to sister's daughter when I am gone. Same with my home, circa 1886. I don't have any kids or a husband, so I have already planned to give it to the Wounded Warrior Project when I am gone. Pass on the joy of a home and the love of family with simple family meals together.

[@MadCityModern]

Such a good story

[@christyparr1563]

About 1/2 my time growing up we ate at the table. I remember that it was my job to set the table. Table cloth, place setting, plate, silverware, glass, and then the napkin in the napkin ring set in the middle of the plate. Mom had County Geese settings. One of the few good memories of my childhood.

[@Christin5554]

I think this video is a very special one. At first I got a little confused when Barry was reading "my husband and I". 😧 In todays world nothing unusual. We too had dinner together every day and it is true, there were the best conversations but also the ones we could have done without, like report card time 😭. I had 3 brothers and I was the second oldest but when it came to report cards I kept up with my brothers . We were all terrible in school but my brothers all ended up being doctors. I turned out to be a nurse and after getting married my hhusband and I started a successful business but that was a looooong time ago. Now I spend my time watching Barries videos 🧐.

[@colleenm.dunbar3901]

Barry, your work is only part of the restoration. Your connection to each piece and how you lovingly bring them back to life is where the real beauty comes from. Thank you for sharing your hard work and your heart with all of us. It often moves me to tears. ❤

[@lisettewurster3648]

Beautiful Barry! I love how you tell your stories with your pieces. ❤

[@KathrynFarrell355]

People are always welcome at my table. My children and I sat around our hand made table nightly and chatted. They played games, made stories and kdid homework at the table too.

[@MKCarol-ms7lg]

Its these types of memories that help me understand why I have struggled for so many years of my life. No foundation. For each of the warm feelings expressed imagine the opposite, that was my childhood. I so appreciated your acknowledgment of 'the rest of us'. Thank you, Barry. BTW, my 2 children had the experience of the family table.

[@valeriehowden471]

As many meals as possible together at the dining table! No tech allowed. Love that set!

[@joanncarlberg6372]

Beautiful table. I enjoy your stories.

[@cynthiafisher9907]

Wow, Barry, this was your absolute best video ever! Those little stories were so poignant and meaningful. I grew up in a home with a single mom and 3 children. She did raise us having supper together at night, but I don’t remember it being a wonderful family time. I don’t know, maybe the absence of a father had a lot to do with it. I married a man who was raised around a family table with lots of stories and laughter. The large family aspect drew me in, but it was also intimidating to someone from a lonely, fractured family. It took years of large family gatherings for me to start to have a happy feeling associated with it, instead of anxiety. We raised our 7 kids around the table with Sunday roasts and holding hands while their dad led us in prayer. (I’m glad you added that part.) Thank you for emphasizing the beauty and importance of family and connectedness and belonging. It can give a lot to a person that they may not always be able to express very well. Oh, and the dining table and chairs turned out beautifully!

[@SirMitchsAlot]

I'm the middle child in a large mixed family that extends to cousins and aunts as if they were direct siblings. We grew up together around many different tables and after dinner we would start seated and talk about our lives. We call it sobre mesa (on table) which means stories around the table. Once we started creating our own lives the tables got smaller. However, everytime a far off sibling finally returns of visits the family (usually myself) we all do our best to come together again in one house and make more memories around someone's table. I wish I still had our old dining room tables so that I could restore them and keep them alive. But the memories as you said, are more powerful than that. Stay blessed

[@MichaelB8391]

Thanks for the rich memories and the beautiful refinishing project.

[@cecoya]

I do remember sitting around the kitchen table with all the relatives gathered and everyone talking and laughing. However, my room mate has decided that my kitchen table is anything but a table to sit down and eat, share and laugh. She keeps all her stuff, paper, calendars, etc on it and the table is anything but inviting to sit at anymore. So, I eat alone watching YT videos, how bittersweet. Have a great day

[@cynthiafisher9907]

Get some totes or boxes one day. Carefully put all her things in them. Make a meal, set the table and light a candle and invite her to eat with you. It may be a special time of connecting.

[@jeffsteinkekeddell3049]

Thank you for sharing. Brings me back to the many holiday meals at my grandparents houses and the adults playing card games late into the evening when us kids were "sleeping". And now the dinners my husband and myself have with our parents and family.

[@524kirkd]

Barry - this is one of the sweetest videos you've ever put up. Thanks so much! We grew up without a lot of money and really didn't have furniture that was worth handing down to anyone. We took care of our things but, honestly, we wore them out! So, even though there is no furniture to inherit, the memories of sitting around the "dinette set" in our eat-in kitchen are priceless. While our meals were usually budget-friendly, my mom made sure they were tasty and nutritious (her enormous garden and canning skills made that possible). Although I am single and without much family around these days, I still make good food for myself and eat most of my meals at the table.

[@cherylweso]

Love the warmth in the table & in your words Berry

[@chrisdavis1722]

Wow; what a beautiful video and restoration! I was fortunate to eat around our family dining table with parents and friends growing up and this reminded me of so many wonderful meals, important life lessons, and a strong tradition of what being a family means. Though I live alone now, I’ll still cook and set a place setting to eat and be reminded of how important it is to stop and enjoy a meal as I did as a child growing up. I’m lucky now to extend that tradition with dinner parties with friends around my own dining table now. I wouldn’t trade the memories for anything.

[@sharonblubaugh9305]

I’m watching this after waking up at 3am and waiting for pain meds to ease my pain. Your video brought tears to my eyes. Fond memories of the past has come to the surface more lately. Seeing your pictures reminds me of my own family when the future was something to look forward to and the past and present celebrated. After the past few years I’m hoping the my sons can feel the same even with the horrible daily or weekly events that seem to envelope us all. My sons have the same sweet heart the you seem to have but with a little innocent ornery side. Thank you for the video 😊