This is my small contribution to Pandemic-era furniture design. Today is my beloved wife's birthday. A special birthday. She's a psychotherapist with a general practice, but specializing in grief. Like many therapists the pandemic has shifted her practice to virtual sessions.

2/ For many patients this means Zoom. She sits on a couch with an Ipad propped up at the right height to approximate an in-person session, usually stacking things on top of each other to get the right height. Countless therapists around the country are doing some version of this.

3/ I call this a custom therapizing bench. Basic mortise and tenon joinery. Made in Pine to keep it light weight for easy mobility. Designed to be the right height for comfortable viewing from a couch. Certainly it's not a radical design innovation. You could do something ...

5/ similar w a barstool of 28" or 29". But I wanted something purpose-built, enough space on the top to accommodate different tech set ups and a small platform beneath for a writing tablet or a drink or a pen just beneath the platform. I'd noticed she had workarounds for that.

6/ The under platform extends out three inches from the main structure for convenience. Some night stands might work but those tend to be about 20" tall. The accent is this "everlasting knot" design on the top. This is a symbol with deep meaning in Buddhism but also in other ...

7/ ... South Asian religions - both Samsara and also the interrelationship of the 8 fold path. This was the technically challenging part as I'd never done any inlay work before. Lofted design, chisels used like cutting mortises. The inlay is Bubinga, an African tropical hardwood.

8/ Not perfect. First try. But I was pretty happy with how it turned out. Anyway, happy birthday, @MilletIsraeli. You complete me.