The Last Stone
It’s bittersweet when some projects come to an end. You spend weeks making the same long drive to the job site, picking stones from an ever-diminishing pile of rock, eating lunch in the same sunny nook, and sharing the same corny inside jokes. The rhythm of the work consumes your days for months. Sometimes, it feels like you’ll never reach the end.
And then, one day, you do.
Without any fanfare, you set the last stone in place—a moment that feels both monumental and strangely ordinary. You pack up your tools, take one last look at the work you’ve done, and leave. The drive home feels different. The weight of the job is gone, replaced by the quiet satisfaction of completion, but also a small void where the familiar routine once lived.
This project was no exception. The collaboration with my friend Steve, whose craftsmanship and thoughtfulness elevated this project at every turn, made it all the more rewarding.
The end of a project isn’t just about what’s finished. The work is done, but the echoes of it stay with you.
And then, before long, you’re on to the next one.