I have a real affinity for grandfather clocks. They were in the homes of most of my relatives when I was growing up in Europe; even then they were a sophisticated addition to a home and those with the money to do so would often showcase their grandfather clocks in their foyer where guests were welcomed or in their study where guests would take tea. Even as a child I felt the grandfather clock to be a statuesque observer; something that was both comforting in its melody and brooding in this design.

When my family came to this country we had very little in terms of money and we stayed with relatives that had come years before us. With many of us cramped into a two-bedroom apartment there was little room for luxuries; only enough for necessities and there was barely enough for that. My mother longed for a time when she would one day have her own house again so that she could make a home for her family and fill it with the things that she most loved in the world.

That day finally did come many years later when the business that my family started finally began to realize success and my family was able to move to a home in the suburbs of the city. I remember the feeling of being able to breathe again, as we were able to spread out within what felt to me was a grand palace of space.

One of the very first things that my mother did was to have a grandfather clock made for our home. It honored the place of our heritage and made our new house in this new country a true home for our family.

Much like I would do many years later….