Now that I’m in this minimizing mode I have to ask if the chairs belong in our “clean” home. I caught myself examining the chairs from a different point of view. The chairs are both white and chipped in various spots showing layers of different paint colors from years before; however, there is more than the paint and the structure.
These chairs were in the room when generations of family members gathered to share meals. They were tumbled over as my sisters and I chased each other around. They are at my home now as my own family gathers together. They’ve sat friends who came over to play cards, been used for toddler time-outs, and stepped on for a higher reach.
These are just objects, right? Why do I feel so nostalgic about a thing? Maybe it’s because of what these chairs have touched, or rather, who has touched them. Maybe it’s because even after all these years each chair is still solid and stable. Maybe it’s the combination that compels me to think about all the kinds of friends that have sat in these chairs.
Those friends were family members, farm neighbors, and siblings. They were people who filled the days with a purpose—even when I didn’t realize they were crossing my path with a purpose. I never intended to overlook those individuals and what they were there to share. I now look at each divot in the chairs and see those friends taught me generosity, reliability, and tenacity. They left their marks on me by showing me how to be a hard worker while still making time to celebrate and enjoy life and to love.
The sentimental sap in me says to keep these chairs because they’ve been in the family for so many years—I can picture my dad sitting on one to remove his boots after feeding the cattle or my grandpa resting from a day in the field—they have such a great story to tell. Looking at these chairs with new eyes, I see that their story is in me. I am who I am thanks to the many friends who sat in and used those chairs; it’s not the chairs themselves that hold the lessons learned.
Anyone looking to inherit two well-used wooden chairs?