Time to say goodbye to a friend

Almost thirty seven years ago, a young couple found out they were pregnant with their first child. In anticipation of the impending uncomfortable state his wife would soon be in, the husband went to the local Lay-Z-Boy showroom and bought his wife a brand new, red plaid, wooden armed, reclining chair. That couple was my parents, that baby was me, and that chair was handed down to me when I got married and has been my very own Lay-Z-Boy for more than a decade.

As I type this, that Lay-Z-Boy now sits at the end of my driveway ready for the trash men to haul it away. Before anyone starts tearing me apart for throwing away a precious family heirloom, know that it probably should have been done years ago. I've had to repair the recliner mechanism twice, the fabric was completely gone on both sides thanks to a Great Dane and multiple cats' claws, it's been leaning against a wall for a long time due to the left side of the back support being collapsed, the seat cushion long ago gave way leaving the sitter sitting on the wooden frame support, and the wooden arms were sticky and gross from layers of sweat, drink, food, and who knows what else. Despite all those issues, I ignored the logic that it was ruined and held onto it as long as I could.

But alas, with the sale of my house and the elimination of almost all of my worldly possessions, I was forced to face the reality that the lifetime of my beloved Lay-Z-Boy had come to a close. For many years it held me snug as watched TV, was a warm resting place for my beloved cats, and was the favorite seat for my friends at more parties than I can count. Now, reality has set in and I see it as the horribly uncomfortable eyesore it truly is. Its time to go has come.

One of my favorite memories of my Lay-Z-Boy is the lasting image of my sisters sitting in it. When they were young, all three of them used to curl up on its broad, soft seat under an always present handmade blanket. This is a picture of my sisters Ginny and Kristen at a young age just after they'd woken up from a nap:


Many years later, when both of them had daughters of their own, they recreated the picture in the same chair:


And then, trying to capture the image close to the same age as their original picture, they sat their daughters down once again. As I've said, this is one of my favorite memories of the chair and I'm so glad my sister captured it on film. And I see it as a fitting way to remember the chair for all time. Goodbye, sweet Lay-Z-Boy.