I was glad Dad couldn’t read expressions when he slid a disheveled birthday present across my kitchen counter. I was shocked because Dad was a Jehovah’s Witness who didn’t celebrate birthdays, because gift giving wasn’t his love language, and because my birthday was still months away. Dad’s genius extended to engineering, history, and mechanics, but not calendars. Dad bounced with excitement as I peeled back the wrapping. Reaching into the box, I put my finger through something cool and metal. I pulled it out. Dad beamed. “Everyone needs a high-quality funnel.” Fifteen years later, it’s still a damn good funnel.
An interior designer by day, Betsy Ellor's recent work includes Hera: Kingdom of Lies, Heroic Care, and My Dog is NOT a Scientist. Facebook Instagram Substack Threads: @betsyellor. Betsy is a Five Minutes Founding Contributor.