Credit: http://www.simplyadditions.com

Sometimes, you need a break before you can finish putting together the pieces.

I sat on the floor of my living room, looking dazed and confused, trying to assemble the pieces of the wine tower that I bought from Target. Upon opening the box, I found wooden planks, nuts and bolts and 5 pages of pictorial instructions. Additionally, it would require screwdrivers, a Phillips and a flathead, neither of which I owned.

I’d already asked when I first made the purchase if they provided assembly on such items. The checkout girl stated no. So when I went back a few days later to get the tools that I needed, I decided that I’d ask again. Maybe she’d gotten it wrong. It wouldn’t hurt to ask. When I went to the customer service desk this time, the gentleman confirmed the original answer. So that was it.

I started my project of assembly on Friday night. It took me a half an hour just to decipher the first step and which pieces went together. But I was determined that I could do this. Plus, I reeeeeeeeally wanted my wine tower put together. So I proceeded, completing the first two racks with relative simplicity. Then the third layer got tricky, requiring more effort and attention. I soon found that my base layers weren’t as sturdy as I had presumed, making it nearly impossible for me to continue. A few hours now into my project, I gave up. My back hurt. My head hurt and I’d worked my fingers (and my manicure) to the bone. So I called it quits.

The days went by, and I walked by my half constructed furniture, reminded of the struggle that was before me. Each day that passed, I planned to set aside time to complete my project. But every time, I remembered the difficulty of this assignment.

After several days of procrastination, I felt defeated by the task and resolved to finding an alternative to my dilemma. I decided to go back to Target to see if there was a display that I could buy. And I did. Except, it wasn’t for sale. A liability, the store manager told me. He advised me that because the store assembled it, the company policy prohibits the selling of assembled products to leave to the store for fear of accidents. Disappointed by this news, I went to another big box store where I’ve had items assembled in store before. Only, I found that they didn’t have any to my liking. I went on this mission to two other stores, only to discover that I really wanted “my” wine tower.

I walked through my front door to find the pieces staring back at me. And it was then that I decided that today was the day. I sat there, in my navy slacks and silk blend blouse and Vince Camuto nude pumps kicked off beside my tools. Determined, it only took me an hour to complete my stand. I even took the time to look back over the mistakes I’d made previously. I went back and tightened the screws and adjusted my placement until it fit just right. A breeze. When I was done, I felt a sense of pride. And it got me to thinking about my relationship with Aiden. When we broke up last year, he took it hard. He didn’t understand why I was breaking up with him when we seemed to be fine, in his mind. Though I couldn’t explain it to him in a way that made sense at the time, looking at my newly assembled wine rack, it made perfect sense. For whatever reason, the pieces just didn’t seem to fit. What I wanted so desperately to convey to him was that I loved him, but I needed time. I needed to figure it out. Sometimes, it takes stepping away from something for a while to be able to fix it. Or to realize that it is beyond repair…