Every great man is defined by his greatest moments; the battles they fight and win, adding thick plates of iron to the steadfast armor of their legacy. But rarely do we get the honor of looking past the defenses. The gaps that conceal a genuine human being. My father was a man clad in a powerful legacy; he was an architect, businessman, and friend to many. But antiques like these are the gaps in the armor, what separates his work as an architect from his life as a father. 
These are age-old bird houses built in the 20th century by my father. Despite their age, my family has ensured that they've been polished and restored continuously to vintage perfection, allowing them to carry the weight of generations on their metal roofs. He built them with his 3 brothers and their children on Christmas Day after he retired from the Navy in 1972. This small project became foundational to his career as an Architect. Day by day, he built his legacy, crafting a powerful voice by designing the suburbs of Virginia Beach. After his passing, he was not only hallowed but hollowed. He was lost, and all that remained were his blueprints. But since the day he built those wooden imitations, as his family grew over many decades, these three birdhouses were like the “kinks in the armor” showing the incredible man under the defenses. I've seen him praised for his work, but antiques like this help me remember the father he was to me and the memories we shared that changed my life.

– PN

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant