All through my life I have loved rocking chairs. As I child, I had one permanently situated in the living room of my parent’s home. Of course, with siblings and even family pets, there was a certain competition about who would sit in it and when. But most of the time, there was not a problem. Perhaps because of my status as the “Oldest” child.
When my first and only child was born 45 years ago, my father- and mother-in-law proudly delivered the rocking chair that my husband had been rocked in many years before. The story was that “Grampa” had seen it in the window of Sears and Roebuck one snowy evening right after he and “Gramma” had discovered they were going to be parents. He went in, paid for it and carried it one mile home in blowing snow, up three flights of stairs and through the front door to their first apartment in Washington, DC. Proudly displaying it in their tiny living room, they considered this the first and most important piece of “Baby” furniture they owned. Nice story!
Many years later, when my son and his wife learned of their pregnancy, we delivered the rocker and it sat prominently in their beautiful nursery, eagerly awaiting the arrival of my granddaughter. Many hours were spent rocking, telling stories and comforting her as she went from being a baby to being an active toddler.
Years later, the chair is at my son’s. Surviving their divorce, it served as a reminder of comfort and love shared by generations of “Hartzells.” Now, when I visit, we move the chair out onto the wooden deck where I can enjoy the lovely sunshine and rock – remembering those happy days gone by.
I think the activity of a rocking chair with its constant motion, ignites and energizes memory. Perhaps that is why you see them in airports and always on the porches of Nursing/Retirement homes. Can you even imagine the stories shared by the “Old” people, remembering and enjoying their pasts — not only of families, but of travel, jobs, highs and lows of life and a dose of the future, escalated by the power of that rocking motion.
Now the family Rocking Chair is safely put away in my son’s home until my next visit. But I can imagine, he might — just might — sneak into its storage room and sit and rock and remember —just maybe.
Thank you to all my followers and greetings to my new ones. Many of you were introduced to my work after reading my first book, FROM WE TO ME…letters to my friend. This was published in the fall of 2013 and has enjoyed some success. Many of those who have read the book have written encouraging comments, saying it was helpful to those who are experiencing grief.
Life as we knew it, back when we were kids, held special memories. The ROCKING CHAIR has created those special times. Stories of OLD always sticks in our minds and reminds us of those precious times with our parents and grandparents. To all those people that read this beautiful article, hold on to the stories of OLD because they are so important for the future generations. ❤️