For my dad’s 50th birthday, my sisters and I wanted to come up with a special gift. In the past, my sisters and I have given dad tickets to a concert, a weekend trip to a resort, a cruise or season tickets to a local basketball team. This time, my sister and I hoped to give him something he could keep and continue to enjoy. My dad is easily hard to buy for. At this phase of his life, he has everything he could ever need. My youngest sister came up with the idea of replacing the family couch. The couch was nearly 20 years old and unquestionably showing wear and tear. The problem was that the size and shape of the home office limits the type of couch. My sisters and I checked every furniture store within a 50 mile radius and found nothing suitable. We were completely discouraged by the generic options and poor quality. My oldest sister came up with the concept of a custom built couch. We consulted with a local furniture shop and described exactly what every one of us wanted. The master craftsman required recognizable measurements and a picture of the existing couch. While my parents were away from home, playing golf, I snuck in and got the necessary information. Although the birthday was only more than three weeks away, the master craftsman offered our job priority and finished the couch on time. My sisters and I were genuinely shocked by the beauty, quality and comfort of the couch, but getting it inside the condo separate from my dads expertise was a bit tricky. However, the custom furniture shop was seriously great.