The Recliner

We have a recliner. It's a Lazyboy. It's old and tattered and stained and blue.......and warm and cozy and perfect and full of memories. We rocked all of our babies in it. I nursed all of them in it. We read to all of them in it. We watched TV in it.........the list goes on. As old as it is, I'm hoping it lasts for me to rock my grandbabies in it!

We have a recliner. It's a Lazyboy. It's old and tattered and stained and blue.......and warm and cozy and perfect and full of memories. We bought it when I was pregnant with our oldest child. We moved it to 3 different states. We spent many nights in it with sick kids. We rocked our children every night for about 10 or so years in it. We missed it when we lived without it for a year. We moved it to College Station when our children began their lives as Aggies, so they could take a little piece of home with them. We still have a recliner. It's a Lazyboy. It's old and tattered and stained and blue.......and warm and cozy and perfect and full of memories.

Our hope as parents is that our kids remember the good and forget the mistakes. Remember when we were "getting it" as parents and forget the times we were wrong. Remember warmth and are drawn to the family when they go away. Is there something - a tradition, a habit, a phrase, a piece of furniture, a book............that feels like "home" for your kids? I'm sure there is. All families have them. Take hold of your "recliner" and don't give it up. Make it a habit to do a warm and cozy memory making thing every week with your PeeWees for as long as they will let you.

I asked my kids what they thought of when they thought of the recliner. I wanted to make sure the memories weren't just mine. After 22 years with the recliner, they said:

• comfort, peace, calmness
• sleep, relaxation, massages
• Whenever I was sad or anything, Dad would rock me in the rocker and play with my hair and scratch my back.
• I remember rocking Maggie to sleep when she was a puppy.
• Mom and I would rock and wait for my bus to come.
• We would massage Dad's back and brush his hair.

They may not remember everything that I remember. But they do remember.............We have a recliner. It's a Lazyboy. It's old and tattered and stained and blue.......and warm and cozy and perfect and full of memories. Do you?