The Couch

The story you are about to read, is a bit of a love story. Well sort of. It wasn’t exactly love at first sight. It was more of, “Seriously?! You like that?!”

The story begins in the spring of 1998, a bit more than a month before THE BIG DAY. (Also known as, our wedding day).   As many of you know, Chris and I were young when we first began dating. It took years of school, traveling, and personal growing, before we finally said the big “I do.” After so many years of dating, I thought I knew him pretty well. However, getting ready to take the step into marriage, you get to learn more about the person you love.

Everything was going well as we planned for the wedding. (It should be noted, it went really well, because my Mom listened to what the two of us wanted, did all the legwork to find options that met our requests, and then we would travel to Phoenix to go through the options and make a decision. Then she would convince Dad it was all in the budget. Best. Mom. Ever.)

As the wedding plans were taking care of themselves (please note again: Mom was taking care of it) we had to take care of other things. You know, like, where to live? We had each been living with roommates since the time we left home and went to college. In fact, at the time we were planning the wedding, we were each back to living with our college roommates. (We were both blessed with wonderful roommates at school!!) After several stressful months of looking, we finally found a home for us. A two bedroom, two story townhome. It had a living room, a dining room, kitchen, and half bath on the main floor. The two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and some of the best closet space ever, were on the second floor. It wasn’t exactly huge, as it was Los Angeles after all, but it was ours, and it was empty. Yes, empty. It became apparent quite quickly, that between the two of us, we only owned furniture for the bedrooms. We had nothing but a tv for the downstairs. So it was just a big, empty, living room, waiting for inspiration!

So what do you do when you are a young, practically broke, in need of inspiration, and in need of furniture, soon to be married couple? Naturally, you go to IKEA! The room ideas are endless, the furniture is affordable, and they have tasty food to keep you sustained in your furniture shopping. It was here that I learned that Chris and I had quite different styles. There were several battles started that day, but one in particular was over The Couch. Yes. The Couch. An extremely comfortable, well padded, and long enough for Chris to stretch out on, couch. These are all good things. The problem being, the couch was ugly. Seriously. It was dark blue and green plaid, with a red line running through it. We sat there on the couch, in the store, arguing the merits, and the ugliness of it.

He told me that it was comfortable, and that is what a couch should be.

I said, yes, but it’s ugly.

He told me that at 6’, he could stretch out on it, and not have his feet dangling over the edge.

I said, yes, but it’s ugly.

He told me, that because of it’s color, if anything is spilled on it, it won’t show.

I said, yes, but it’s ugly.

He told me that one day, it would no longer be in the family room, but in the basement. Then I wouldn’t have to look at it every day!

I asked, do you promise?

He said yes.

He won the argument.

A side note: we lived in Los Angeles. We had planned on staying in Los Angeles. I have never met anyone who has a basement in Los Angeles. Why I listened to that part of the argument, I will never know, lol!

We brought the couch home, already assembled by the good people at IKEA, in his pick-up truck.

That was in the spring of 1998. It is now the winter of 2017. That wonderful, comfortable, easy to curl into couch, has moved from Los Angeles, to Brooklyn, and to two homes in Virginia. The couch has been used by family and friends, as a place to sit, and sometimes sleep, when they visit. Our babies have been snuggled and fed on the couch. They have napped with us on the couch. The couch has been a sailing ship, a fortress, a trampoline, a slide, a home for dolls and action figures. It has been a place to read, to watch tv, and to play video games. It has been a place for silly talks, and life altering conversations. Over the years, it has heard a lot of laughter, and soaked in as many tears. It has been a bit like an anchor, in an often, unpredictable world.

After almost 19 years, the couch is looking worn. There is stuffing coming out of one cushion. The material under the cushions is torn in parts, so you can see the wood frame underneath. The couch is still comfortable. It still pulls you in, and lulls you to sleep. However, it is a bit more difficult now to get off the couch, as the springs aren’t what they used to be.

It is finally time to say good-bye to The Couch. A new couch was delivered today, and The Couch, will be picked up tomorrow.

I know deep down, it is just a couch. It is an inanimate object, without feelings. In the grand scheme of life, it is but just a thing, and things don’t last forever. Things come and go in our life all the time. There are much bigger problems in the world than whether or not I have The Couch. Knowing all this to be true, I have been sitting here for some time, wondering why I feel like crying. Why would I want to cry over a couch? A couch I didn’t even want in the first place. Then it hits me: it’s all the memories. There are so many memories tied to this couch. Events, for which the majority of time, they were just average events of the day. Moments in time, we take for granted in our daily lives. It isn’t until we add all those moments together, that we see the mosaic of time that has passed. It is with these thoughts, that I now look around my home, and realize, there are so many things I have held onto, that are just things. With this new year, I think it is time to start letting go of more things, and holding on tight to the memories. For it is the memories that are cherished and shared, that can last forever, not the things.

So it will begin, by saying good-bye to The Couch . . . that wonderful, comfortable, memory filled, loved, and still ugly, couch.