For the Love of the Couch

15 years ago next month, my husband and I moved into our house.  Our first house, our only house thus far.  We had so many rooms, and so little furniture to put in it.  So we bought our first real furniture, a living room set from Value City.  It was just right - a couch, a love seat and three tables - all perfectly coordinating with our desirable burgundy carpet.

Fast forward to last week.  I was scrolling through Facebook when I saw a post from a friend offering her lovely (and oh-so-neutral) couch for FREEEEE.  "Quick!"  I said to my husband.  "We must say we'll take it and use it in the living room!"  Bing-bang-boom.  As of Friday, the couch was ours.

And the other couch and love seat?  I called for large trash pick up for today.  Both couches were literally bursting at the seams, spewing foam filling all over the floor whenever the children hopped over them like gymnastics equipment (which I'm sorry to report was often).  My mom had sewn the ripped seams the last time she visited, but to no avail.  I wanted to take them to Goodwill, but we feared they were just past their time.

So today, they sat on the snowy curb, and a large truck rumbled to our house.  We all watched as an enormous crane grabbed our couches and dropped them into the truck.  Two pillows and a cushion had fallen to the ground and before I knew it, my son had dashed out into the driveway and was retrieving them.  I quickly followed, worried about him near the large equipment.  He was holding the pillows as the driver tossed the cushion into the truck.

"We need to keep the pillows, mom!", he said with fervor.

Tonight at bedtime, this same little son was having trouble going to sleep.  My husband was upstairs helping him settle in.  With tears in his eyes, our son said, "Dad, every time I close my eyes, I think of the couches!"

He was genuinely upset that the couches were gone.  "I only saved two pillows!  I should have saved three!  I should have saved a cushion!  We've had them so long - why couldn't we fix them?"

Oh, my heart!  This is my boy!  I was the little girl who cried when we rearranged the living room furniture or sold a car.  This little boy, who has the corner on crazy wild, has such a tender, soft heart.

He is currently cuddled in bed with the two couch pillows.  I am very glad we kept them - they will remind of us what used to be, and also of the sweet little boy who couldn't let go of a piece of his childhood.