When Dad was broken up after his fall off the ladder last fall, he invested in a lift chair for himself. He had purchased one in 2007 for Mom. Her chair was not a good fit for him to sleep with all those broken bones. The chair he bought is slightly bigger with a few more bells and whistles. It lifts, reclines almost flat, and is super comfortable. He slept in it for almost six weeks. Way too many Mondays, I snuggle into it myself to doze while Dad is gone to town!
I brought my youngest daughter, Julia, with me this morning because she’s on winter break from school. It took Mom a few minutes to recognize her. As Mom came out, Julia asked her where she’d like to sit. “This is my chair. There is Dwight’s chair. And when we have company we share our chairs.” So she motioned for Julia to sit in Dad’s chair and they started talking, just visiting.
It made me think of the scene from the Pixar/Disney movie, “Up,” one of my favorite 10 minutes of movie making ever. In a sweet flashback, the love story of Carl Fredricksen and his childhood friend-who-became-his-wife, Ellie, is told. Images of being children, young marrieds, heartbreak, and a life together are shown to give us a sweet and tender backstory for the elderly widower. Her chair sits as a silent witness to their love and his promise to fulfill his dream of taking her to the wilds of South America.
In our home, Michael and I each have a chair. His is an oversized rocker we bought when we had our first baby. Mine is a chair my granddaddy had in the early 1970’s that Mom and Dad had recovered. I feel like Goldilocks when I sit in Michael’s chair. It’s too big! But Granddaddy’s chair is just right and still one of my favorite places to sit.
Mom loves to sit in her chair. I am grateful that the lift system can help her rise from it when she needs it. On some days she’s so content to stay in her chair that hours will go by without her getting up. Without the lift, she might sit there forever! She has a nice light just over her shoulder which allows her to read. TV is also there, just in case she’ll watch an episode on HGTV with me.
Even when they are not sitting there, I identify those chairs with them. I can only imagine how difficult it will be when they aren’t around to sit there any longer. In the musical “Les Miserables,” Marius sings “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,” lamenting the loss of his friends after the battle. This poignant ballad is the soundtrack in my mind when I think of my friends who have already outlived their parents.
As Julia and Mom visit today, once again I am grateful for these Mondays. I think I’ll find a spot and visit with them, too.
