My dear friend and neighbor, Jamie Timberman, wrote the ode below to remind us of how such an ordinary object as a table can hold more than plates and food. It really struck me as a great reminder that we too often look over the philosophy that surrounds us every single day of our lives, the philosophy that speaks to us through simple things, simple actions, simple days.
With the Holidays almost upon us, there will be many folks gathered around tables, sharing meals, stories, sorrows, and joys. Thanks to this piece of writing, I have named Jamie an honorary Briar Philosopher and given her most of my space for this week. Please also remember that times are going to get very hard for quite a few people in Jackson County and across the country, as food insecurity is set to hit crisis level beginning November 1st. If you have a little extra, even if it’s a very little, consider making a donation of food or money to the Jackson County Food Bank to help that holiday table feed those who are hungry this year.
The Table
A tree that has stood tall and proud. The tree that has cleaned the air and heard the morning songs of the birds. Those trees get turned into the very tables that stand in the rooms of families, restaurants, conferences, and the very desk that we work on.
Now it's naive to think that the tree lives through our tables, but once you look at the past and present, the table is always involved.
A piece of wood or plastic strapped together with metal. It stands on its legs. Sometimes it just sits on the ground in the form of a stump or the blanket that serves as a table at a picnic.
From ancient times to now, nice warm bread and pies start on the table. Fruits and veggies are being cut. The rolling out of the cookies, made with love, of the time spent with the babies waiting to clean the bowl.
Time spent setting the plates and clearing the dishes to be washed. That family sitting down together to eat a meal that was made with love.
Some play a game of cards, board games, dice, or even that slapjack game with the cousins. Some also gamble at the table to win that extra dollar to improve a life.
The conversations that happen in the home, office meetings, picnics, and with ourselves through those troubling thoughts.
New love blooms on those first dates. Just as much as that breakup happens. Good news and bad news over dinner. Birthdays with tables full of gifts and food. Wedding receptions and people at the tables help celebrate the new love of a family.
The table holds many truths, lies, pain, love, and scars. The fibers of each table have been the witness to centuries of life.
As one gets older, they remember the days of laughing, crying, and enjoying the time spent around that piece of wood and metal.
The tree has found a way to stay alive through us. Perhaps Mother Nature herself wanted a way for us humans to come together. Maybe this is crazy thinking. But how many good and bad times have you had around a table?
In current times, we need that table more than ever.
Jamie Timberman 2025
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