Love Thursday: a rocking chair
February 22, 2007
When I became pregnant with my first child Rob and I were both college students. Poor unmarried college students. Who were just enough in love to think that was all we needed. And just naive enough to think that one little baby wouldn’t change our lives much.
I remember this time in my life as one of the happiest.
Sometimes I look at Rob and ask him, “Were we really as happy as I remember? Or am I just romaniticizing the whole time period?”
And he will reply, “Both.”
And then we will laugh.
We had no money, no health insurance, and no full time jobs. But it really didn’t even occur to us that these things were problems. Thankfully, by the end of my pregnancy Rob had graduated and received an offer for a job with great health benefits.
One day we were driving around and on the side of the road was a rocking chair. It was missing it’s seat, the paint was peeling and it looked as though it had been stored in someone’s garage for a few years.
“We need one of those!” I shouted.
And we stopped the car, got out, and tossed it in the back seat of my cute, but decidedly child unfriendly convertible VW Rabbitt.
We brought it home to our apartment. Rob stripped the paint off of it and then repainted it. Rob rushed the seat, after reading about how to do it. He worked on it for weeks. Finally he finished it the night before I went into labor.
My water broke and I sat on the chair rocking waiting for Rob to get our stuff together. It was on the chair that I came to the realization that when we came home again the two of us would be three people.
And it was moments after that realization that Rob looked at me very concerned and said, “um, do you have to sit there? I don’t want you ruining that chair.” And as the daggers shot out of my eyes, he tried to save himself by saying, “you know after all that hard work…”
It was in that chair that I rocked each of my babies in turn. A chair in which I hope one day to rock my grandchildren.
It might not be the most beautiful chair in the world, or even the most comfortable, but it reminds me of that time in my life.
When we were standing on the cusp of a life which we couldn’t even have imagined.
For more Love Thursday, go here.
RSS feed for comments on this post.
The URI to TrackBack this entry is:
http://www.notesfromthetrenches.com/2007/02/22/love-thursday-a-rocking-chair/trackback/
Just beautiful! I have the same memory of my cheap wedding band that we decided to get “till we could get another one” Haha, 10 years have passed and still no replacment. Like you, it reminds me of where we came from…
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:38 pmThanks for sharing
How beautiful. We also became pregnant, unmarried,without jobs, in college. I was 7 1/2 months along at my commencement ceremony. And yes, it was such a happy time in our relationship. Oh, to be that young again.
We also had a rocking chair–actually donated from my mother-in-law. It was breaking down after our third child and so we donated it to charity before we moved.
Now your story is giving me tears of sentimentality. Gosh! I should have kept that rocker for my grandkids. Oh well, I think I’ll keep all the books and toys instead.
Thanks for the great blog!
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:45 pmDid Rob really rush that seat? He did a beautiful job. And what a great memento of all those babyhoods. Thanks for sharing this.
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:47 pmChris, you are an amazing writer. This has brought tears to my eyes. My oldest is 11 1/2 now and when I gave birth to him I, too, had no idea what life had in store for us. We now have 4 kids. What a long road we have travelled.
I also have a rocking chair that we bought while pregnant with our son. It’s kind of ugly and outdated (but so comfortable) and it’s a part of our lives.
I like you Chris. A lot. I don’t think you realize how endearing you are and how much your readers adore you. I look forward to each new post. Please don’t stop writing. :o)
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:48 pmWHat a perfect chair. You know it not being a grand chair or even a new chair to some I can understand it being a perfect chair. The memories you have are wonderful ones and ones I would also cherish if I were you.
Perfect for Love Thursday!
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:58 pmBeautiful. That made me cry. You have such a gift for expressing in words the feelings behind the Big Emotions that we mothers feel. Thank you for sharing that gift with us.
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:13 pmWe also had a rocking chair which had a peculiar squeak when rocked which, along with the rocking, lulled the babies to sleep. This chair was handed down to me from my great aunt . . . and I rocked both my kids and two of my grandchildren. A great chair which brings back wonderful memories. Now my daughter has it and I think I saw it in the basement last time we visited! Maybe someday my great grandchildren will be rocked in the chair with the marvelous squeak!
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:20 pmWhen our first was born, we used a bassinet that my mother and all of my cousins had slept in as infants. It’s nothing beautiful or fancy, but it’s lovely to me because of all the love it symbolizes. I’m begging my mother to write the names and birthdates of everyone that slept in it so that when I pass it down to my children they’ll know the history.
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:24 pmOh! Rob did a fabulous job on that chair. What a beautiful piece of work. (Both the chair and all of your children.)
We had a rocking chair too, it was in the house we bought, left by the previous owners and it almost sold the house to me on its own. I rocked my first two little girls in it too, though sadly it didn’t make it beyond that.
You write beautifully, thank you.
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:27 pmMy mom still has her first rocking chair, complete with teething marks from her children during her years of rocking and feeding babies. Now she does get to rock her grandchildren in it, and that is just wonderful. Thank you for sharing the love, sniff sniff.
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:35 pmI have a rocking chair too. My dad made it fore me when I was pregnant with my first. It has been hither and yon with us and I love it. It’s in my family room and everyone loves it. It’s thi first chair our guests migrate too.
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:57 pmoh I’ve never even sat in your chair and I love it so….
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:58 pmBeautifully written… Even brought a tear to my eye!
February 22nd, 2007 at 7:17 pmHow beautiful, Chris.
Even though I am insanely happy with my family and life (well, except for my job, but I try to block that part out ;-)), your posts very often make me want to crawl right out of my life and into yours!
February 22nd, 2007 at 8:20 pmPerfect post. Its funny how we are always rushing to change and don’t truly appreciate life in the moment (maybe that should be I and not we).
February 22nd, 2007 at 8:24 pmThis is what makes life so very interesting. You are having your blissful aha moment and he is worrying that you’re gonna wreck the chair. Love it.
February 22nd, 2007 at 8:49 pmSo beautifully written.
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:21 pmThat was a two-hanky post.
February 22nd, 2007 at 10:53 pmA lovely picture and a piercingly engaging post.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:07 amThank you for gently rocking me back to the time we refer to as “the one spoon days.”
Awesome post…once again you have made me cry. Aren’t memories beautiful?
February 23rd, 2007 at 2:09 amThank you. You made me cry and reminded me why it is that we do this everyday.
February 23rd, 2007 at 2:57 amIt’s so sweet, Chris. You always write beautifully. Thanks for the reminder and for your lovely sharing.
I put this post’s link in my blog entry
February 23rd, 2007 at 7:49 amI find the chair stunning - more cozy than the new couch! I love old furniture, furniture with love and memories inside it and it seems as if when you sit in it you are able to soak up and be filled with the love from it.
February 23rd, 2007 at 8:39 amWonderful post! Wonderful memories!
What a nice post! I nursed my 3 babies on an old raggady chair we bought on display at BRU six years ago (hard to believe!). I bought some pretty frabric 2 years ago because it just looked terrible.Every time I sit on it now, I worry it will just fall apart.
February 23rd, 2007 at 9:05 amThis time you brought me into tears. Those are really beautiful memories, and to me it looks like they are not only memories but happy moments on everyday (well not EVERY day) life.
February 23rd, 2007 at 9:27 amThat was lovely, I truly felt like I was *there* and sitting in your chair.
We have probably the ugliest gold LaZBoy rocker ever, but it was one that my own parents sat in to rock me when *I* was a baby. To have it used for another generation, and the sentiment behind it, makes it beautiful.
Stephanie
February 23rd, 2007 at 9:40 amLovely chair. And I had a similar experience with my now-ex not wanting me to sit on a chair at ALL in the last month of my pregnancy in case my water should break on it and ruin it. Of course, I continued to sit on it…
February 23rd, 2007 at 10:14 amI love this post. Love love love it. You two are so sweet. I also loved what Anna above me wrote:
This is what makes life so very interesting. You are having your blissful aha moment and he is worrying that you’re gonna wreck the chair.
During my pregnancy I mentioned to my husband that I would need a rocking chair once the baby came. I think it’s an American thing, and so it was not easy to find here. But he did find one. And it’s perfect in every way. He didn’t rush the seat himself, but he did buy it from a local carpenter and assemble the last big bits of it himself. It is very similar to the one my mother had when we were little and that I described to him in excruciating detail.
February 23rd, 2007 at 10:56 amHi Chris,
I agree with so many of the comments above, especially Mandi’s.
You are so endearing and I have to tell you that your website is actually my home page. When I open up the internet, your hilarious/poignant/colorful… (I could go on and on here) posts are what I want to see first.
Beautifully written and you certainly do pull people in with your personality –which is awesome! I really like you too. A lot.
Andrea
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:34 amPS, I forgot to mention that I am one of 11 children (yes, I was number 8 and I will never forget the time when I met a friend of my mother’s, how she asked where I was in line and I answered “I’m number 8″, my mother turned to me and said incredulously; “You guys gave yourselves numbers?????!!!!”. I was 27 at the time and this came to her as a big shock! LOL!)
I can so relate to the “Big Family” life –so much fun!
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:38 amAndrea
I love to read your blog. If our lives were any more similar it would be scary! Nice to see other mothers loving stuff that would otherwise be not worth much to the rest of the world. I love to read daily! It is my treat to myself making time to read it!
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:51 amIt *is* the most beautiful chair in the world. And the story behind it too.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:11 pmLovely post and beautiful photo.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:40 pmhow sweet! my momma passed down the rocking chair she used with my sister and I to me. It’s a little rickety but I refuse to part with it. it’s in storage right now but your post has convinced me to dust it off and display it with pride.
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:00 pmThat was a beautiful post. I had more tears. That is two posts in a row of yours that made me cry. Stop it. ;^)
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:14 pmThose were the days…poor, unaware, stupid, riduculously naive…
And yet I’m glad to be here and not there. Know what I mean?
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:27 pmThere you go again…….writing from your soul.
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:27 pm*sniff* *weep*
Man… This really is making my ovaries hurt.
*sniff*
February 23rd, 2007 at 5:15 pmChris, this is wonderful and makes me feel all warm & fuzzy inside. This is why I heart you.
May I also make the oh-so-humble request that you submit this to Indie Bloggers? I would be SO HONORED to be able to post it. You’re such a beautiful writer. Well, you write beautifully and you’re a beautiful writer, too. Both! Score!
February 23rd, 2007 at 8:08 pmI am going to second Stacy. Loved this.
February 25th, 2007 at 11:10 pmOK, first of all…how do you have time to blog with 7 kids and I’m still trying to keep my head above water with 2? Anyway, this is the most beautiful post. We still have MY MOTHERS baby rocking chair. I cry everytime I see my children sit in it.
I’ve enjoyed your writing thoroughly. Thanks for sharing its honesty.
February 27th, 2007 at 11:02 amWow. Very sweet.
February 28th, 2007 at 1:54 pmOh wow. *sniff* This is beautiful.
March 1st, 2007 at 10:43 am