Your table is beautiful! The financial cost does not matter because the benefit of doing this work was priceless.
I’m so sorry about your cousin. My daughter had leukemia. Throughout that journey (27+ months), we met so many others, and many did not make it. I hate cancer soooo much. During that time, I rediscovered crafting and creating and it was therapeutic. (That’s when I ended up getting my Glowforge, actually.) I figure it was a better option than many other things I could have turned to that might have been self-destructive. Your table will always have a special value to you.