furniture fondness...

This chair. Argh....

I have a love-hate relationship with it. I hate it because it fits nowhere in my house. Color-wise, it is 'acceptable' in my bedroom, even though it's that lovely, early-American style that was popular in the...what?? When exactly was this look 'in'? The eighties, maybe(?), but considering that the '80s was the bulk of my childhood years, I wasn't super-conscious of what was going on in the decor world. Anyway, I'm guessing it was then, because I got it second-hand from one of my aunts, who graciously passed on her furniture to me as a young bride, which co-incided with her upgrading hers.  That was in 1992, my friends...20 years ago. One would think, with my frustration with the lack of location for this piece of furniture, coupled with it's outdated look, it would be long gone...but I have this hang-up...

You see, this was my favorite nursing chair for each and every one of my babies. It is a particularly comfy recliner, and the arms are low...perfect for holding up my arms as they held up my snuggly little babes. It was so comfy, in fact, that there were many a midnight feeding that I found myself waking, little one still in my arms hours later...time again, for another feeding!

It was in this chair that I sat, sobbing, determined to keep a vigilant watch when my teeny-tiny little 5-pound-something girlie kept gagging her first few days of life on the leftover junk that didn't get squeezed from her since she had to arrive via C-section. I was just.sure. that if I didn't stay awake and alert to her silent episodes 24/7, that I would lose her. And so I sat in this chair and rocked, and cried.  In the midst of the fear one night, utterly exhausted, I felt God speak to my heart..."Let Me hold her...I will watch over her...", and at that moment I knew that God would always and forever be a better protector of her...and all my children...than I, with all the fierceness of a mother's heart, could ever be.  And I slept.  In that chair.

It's this chair to which Todd would retreat the first year of our church planting experience, as we stepped out in faith for him to focus one year, full time, on the church.  The 'church-office' was (and still is) out of our home, and our bedroom was the only place he could hide out to study and pray, that was away from babies, toddlers and homeschoolers....and the crazy mama of them all.  He has always been the one, when I am fuming and, in a fit of annoyance at no place to go with this stinkin' chair, and saying I'm ready to toss it, that says "No...I really like it..."  And so it has stayed.

And, it's in this chair that I sit now, teary as I remember all of this and share it with you.  It's still comfy.  It rocks beautifully and reclines just right.  I just had to rearrange our bedroom layout a bit because my hubby injured his shoulder and, long-story-short, we needed to switch sides of the bed, and he needs his nightstand, et al, by him.  So once again I'm growling at no place to go with this beast...and yet turning all soft and mushy at the thought of getting rid of it.  What to do, what to do...

I can't help but think that maybe, SOMEDAY, I'll have my dream house, with a nice study, or big bedroom with a sitting area, and I will somehow have absorbed some amazing talent for transformation and re-upholstery by reading enough of Miss Mustard Seed's posts, and I will be sooo thankful that I didn't give in and let it go.  So, I guess I'll keep thinking and arranging, and re-arranging and making do...because sometimes, some things just turn out to be worth it.  And who knows...maybe I'll get to rock grandbabies in it, or give it to my daughter or a daughter-in-law for their midnight feedings...

Okay, I'm officially weirded out by the thought of having adult kids, and, worse yet, being old enough to be a grandparent...  Post over.