Building a Family Tradition

By: Ron Wasson

 How my eighteen-month-old grandson’s eyes lit up when he saw the chair! His joyful expression made the days of challenging work building it seem like nothing by comparison. I watched with delight as he ran up to the chair as fast as he could. He sat down, then got back up and looked at it, and then sat down again, over and over laughing all the while. Watching him enjoy my gift to him brought me unspeakable joy and satisfaction. Not only had I made a useful and fun item for my grandson, which he seemed thrilled with, I had carried on a family tradition.

Many years ago, when I was a child, my parents came across a design for a child’s chair in a magazine. What caught their attention with this particular design was its versatility; it could be a chair, a rocker and step stool depending on how it was positioned. Knowing that my grandfather was a skilled craftsman, my father asked him to make the little chair for each of his children. My brothers and I have fond memories of endless hours spent in the chairs that our Papaw gave us.

When the next generation in the family came along, I used the same pattern to build these

chairs for my brothers’ children as Christmas gifts. Then, when my first child was born,

one of my brothers returned the favor. My little girl had a little chair, just her size too. This created another period in my family’s history where children once again played on these hand-built chairs.

So, a few years ago, when my first grandson, TJ, turned two years old, I pulled out the old pattern and began cutting out the pieces for that treasured chair once again. I felt a little rusty, as I had not built anything in quite a while. I am certainly not the carpenter my Papaw was. Yet somehow it came together just the same. TJ loved it and now will forever remember the chair his “Pawpaw” made for him. Perhaps someday he will build a chair for some, yet unborn, descendant of mine using this same pattern.

A hand-built project such as this delightful little chair is a wonderful way to start and build a family tradition. Choose any simple pattern such as a child’s chair, or perhaps a birdhouse, or some other craft that your children, nieces and nephews, or grandchildren would enjoy. When the gift is given, be sure and include the pattern so it can continue to be passed on to the next generation of novice carpenters and eager children.

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.

Psalms 127:3 (HCSB)

Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of sons is their fathers. Proverbs 17:6 (HCSB)

Ron was born in Nigeria, West Africa, the son of missionaries, where he spent most of his pre-teen years during the late 1950s and 1960s. Ron was recently inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution and is proud that his ninth great-grandfather fought for our country’s independence and for the freedom that we all enjoy today. He also has a passion for his childhood days and relives his experiences by telling and writing about the various adventures while growing up in Nigeria, many of which have been published. Ron’s articles and devotions have been published in numerous magazines including SEEK (Standard Publishing), Among Worlds Magazine (interaction International), Power for Living (David C Cook), the Upper Room, The Secret Place (Judson Press), and he has had short stories published in Chicken Soup for the Soul and Prayer Warrior Confessions (Write Integrity Press). After a long career in telecommunications, he retired in January 2021 and now lives in the Dallas, Texas area with his wife of 44 years. They have two daughters and son in-laws and three grandchildren. He and his wife are active church members and enjoy playing and being with their grandchildren. Ron loves hunting, fishing, camping, gardening, and genealogy.

Feature Photo by Jeremiah Lawrence on Unsplash