Finishing a father's work

How ponderous that I read this blog regarding doubt on this particular evening.  Kevin, this will not be forgotten, and I WILL get even.

Anyway.

Today I was in a customer's home, a place I'd been a couple times before over the past 5 years, when I was presented with a difficult request.  This customer's father had built 2 clocks in his life; one for his wife and one for his oldest son.  He had purchased a kit to build a third clock for his younger son, but had passed away before he ever finished assembling it.  The clock is a curio-style grandfather clock in solid oak.  For 15 years the clock parts have laid in the family garage with no one even looking at them.  The son wants his clock, and he wants ME to put it together for him.

I did all I could do show my fear and lack of faith that I could accomplish the task, but this man was persistent.  When I told him of other people I knew, professional cabinetmakers who would do a wonderful job, he simply said, "The family knows you, I believe you can do it.  Let me load it in your van."

Six hours have passed, and the entire disassembled clock is sitting in my garage.  I'm scared to death.  This clock means more to this man than all of his worldly possessions combined, and he has given it to me to be completed.  I don't know what I'm doing, and I have no instructions.  I desperately want to fix this clock for him, and I told him as much, but I also told him that I don't believe I have the necessary skill.  He didn't give it a second thought.

I am thoroughly humbled, yet acutely determined.  Over the coming months I WILL complete this clock, although I have yet to complete a single one of the projects I set out to do so many months ago when I began this journey.  I will give it the absolute best effort I can, and it will meet my ridiculously high standards of craftsmanship.

My customer's late father would accept nothing less.