I’m oddly attached to this $200 recliner wrapped in cheap synthetic ‘leather’. When I found out I was pregnant with Lexi, I knew I wanted a recliner that could rock and recline in verses a traditional rocking chair or glider. We spent a lot of time looking but had a hard time finding something that wasn’t super expensive and that also didn’t take up a huge footprint.
Low and behold, Menards had something. Daddy wasn’t sold on it at first. He was worried that it would get moved to a different location once we were done with it and it wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing piece of furniture. I assured him that I would get rid of it when the kids were old enough and didn’t need it anymore.
Just as Kate was about to be born, we started to notice some cracking and flaking near the head rest and the ‘leather’ quickly started to peel away. The spots grew bigger and bigger over the year, but for the most part we were able to cover it with a blanket. Around her first birthday, the seat cushion started to do the same thing. Little pieces of brown fabric were everywhere and it was driving me insane.
When I thought about getting rid of the chair, my eyes would puddle up. How can I get rid of something that has provided me with so much comfort and nurturing.
I vividly remember holding Lexi’s warm 10-day-old little body against my chest feeling her short little breaths tickle my skin while we rocked. And I thought, how could I possibly ever let her go to school? She was a mere 10 days old, when 20 six and seven year old kids were shot to death at school. The innocence of those children, the fear they must have had and lack of knowledge they had to know what to do. And don’t even get me started on their parents. I couldn’t. How could I ever let my heart walk out of my body and know there was a chance that something so horrific could possibly happen. So, I held your sweet, innocent little body next to mine and we rocked. And I prayed, a lot. And I still do today.
Every single night, for 5 years, i sat in that chair and nursed my babies, read stories and sang twinkle twinkle and snuggled for sometime hours on end while they fell asleep in my arms. I can still feel our two little bodies smushed between the arms, wiggling around to get comfortable. There were many nights that I slept the entire night in the chair with the kids to ensure they got some sleep while they were under the weather.
So while I rationally know it is just a chair. It is so much more. It became a place of comfort for myself and the kids. It enabled memories to be created and bonds to grow.
So long chair.
Peanut Smiles 