What skill would you like to learn?
I would love to learn how to restore old furniture. There’s something wonderful about taking a table with wobbling legs, a chair with faded upholstery, or a dresser that’s been pushed to the curb — and seeing more than just its brokenness. With a bit of imagination and creativity, these pieces can be beautiful again.
I admire people who already know how to do this. They walk through second-hand shops or past rubbish piles spotting hidden potential where most of us only see junk. Where I see scratches, dents, and layers of dust, they see stories waiting to be told. Their skill isn’t only in sanding or polishing; it’s in believing that what is worn out can be redeemed.
I was never great at woodwork at school. But even so, the idea of restoration lingers in me. Perhaps because it’s not just about furniture. It’s about patience. It’s about vision. It’s about slowing down long enough to notice what might be saved rather than discarded.
I’d love to learn how to do that. To take something unwanted and bring it back to life. But maybe the deeper longing is to cultivate that same eye for possibility in the rest of life — in people, in relationships, in communities. To see the beauty that could be, not just the flaws that are.
Wouldn’t that be great? To be the kind of person who helps give things — and people — another chance.
The Afterword 
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