Thrifty Thursday: My Mama Chair

      Ever since my first child was born, I've harbored a secret wish. I wished to have a "Mama Chair". Over the years we've owned several second-hand rocking chairs. There was the antique wood and wicker rocker that had belonged to a friends grandma. Such a dainty thing, and though not very comfortable, I loved the idea of rocking on stories! We have an old padded, reclining rocker which, judging from its burnt-orange upholstery and shredded sides, must have once graced a 60's home where several cats made use of it. Its unseemly appearance is redeemed by its coziness and usefulness in late-night feedings and soothings. And there's also the traditional wooden glider with the blue cushions that Richard surprised me with to replace one that had broken right before baby # 3 was due to arrive.
       Each of these chairs hold special meaning for me. But as the children have grown and moved into their own bedrooms, these chairs have been adopted as theirs. The only chair that has stayed in my own room is a rickety desk chair. Great for studying and writing, but nothing to boast of for comfort.
       What I really wanted was something elegant, but durable. Something wide enough to rest tired arms on without taking up too much space. I wanted it soft, but not so saggy that getting out of it would require all the energy I had just regained from resting in it. It had to be able to rock. Swiveling would be a bonus.
       Such a "goldilocks" chair I was sure would be hard to come by, not to mention pricey. When we bought our first home about a year and a half ago, the Mama Chair dream began stirring in my heart. But, we were finishing the basement, using up more than half our savings to do so, and I didn't feel justified in purchasing new furniture for any of the already finished rooms. I was content to keep this secret wish tucked into a corner of my heart, nourishing it for the time being with hopes of "someday".
       We'd been living in our new home for only about 2 months when I was visiting my favorite thrift store and I saw it. It was love at first sight. But, like a balloon tethered to my wrist, I kept my hopes from rising too high just yet. It looked just right: a plush golden-colored armchair, not overly high in the back, with elegant tucks and folds in the fabric over the arm-rests and at the base. I needed to see how it felt. I sat back gingerly at first, then sighed deeply. Ahhhh. It felt like the armchair had been built to fit my exact proportions - not too wide, not too snug, but juuuust right. It was used, but showed no signs of wearing. The fabric felt smooth and even beneath my fingertips. My feet easily touched the ground while seated and the cushion was firm enough under me that I wouldn't have to be air-lifted out of the thing. With a mixture of joy and dread, I realized it rocked easily and swiveled like a dream. Joy that this was the Mama Chair I'd been longing for, but dread in knowing that the the deciding factor was still unknown - how much did it cost? I fumbled with the price tag as my mind tried to calculate how much I would be willing to pay for the fulfillment of this wish.
       $30 sounded juuust right to me.

       And so now the goldilocks approved Mama Chair sits quietly in my bedroom. Each day it waits patiently for a weary woman to kick off her sneakers and settle into its inviting repose. Sometimes the woman balances a textbook or computer on her knees and studies while the light wanes and her children slumber. Other times, light has only begun to creep through the windows when the woman nestles into the Mama Chair with a wakeful bundle wrapped against her shoulder. And sometimes, the Mama Chair is the appointed retreat where youngster and mother can cuddle up with a favorite book, a shared treat, or a much needed reminder of how deeply cherished this little one is to Mama.
       They say necessity is the mother of invention. I don't think this invention ever fulfilled its true purpose until it met this mother and reminded me that sometimes our secret wishes are actually our necessities, cleverly disguised until just the right moment. For some, that moment might be when you finally acknowledge that love has replaced what you thought was mere infatuation. It might be the moment when you give up pretending you'd be fine either way. It is the moment when you shed your pretenses and admit that this, no matter how trivial it may appear, this, is important to you.
       For me that moment came sitting in a used armchair at the second-hand store, beaming at the price tag and feeling like someone who knew me better than I knew myself was whispering, Surprise! I know you've been wanting this a long time. I just couldn't wait any longer to give it to you!