A Couch and a Life Lesson

Long story. A couple days ago we decided to finally get rid of our old couch. It's one we got nearly 12 years ago. It wore out so we put a slipcover on it a few years ago, but it was way past its prime. Clear back in May, we got a nice, new cranberry sofa to replace it but we weren't quite sure what to do with the old one, so it sat "temporarily" (for 6 months!) behind our loveseat in the living room. It looked like a redneck seating arrangement. Anyway, there's nothing like having company over that makes you all of a sudden find a good reason to "get 'er done." Since we're hosting Thanksgiving this year, we decided we needed to make our living room look like a real living room again. So it was time for the old couch to go. Quentin and I loaded it on the trailer then loaded the girls in the van for a "D.I. Run." As soon as Kiera and Makenna saw our old couch on the trailer they gasped. "Wait! What are we doing with our couch?!" So we had The Talk - we explained that we have loved that couch but we just don't need it anymore so we'd like to give it to the D.I. so someone who might not even have a couch would be able to get it.... Well, they didn't like that idea. "Why can't we keep it? I could have it when I'm a grown up. We could buy it back." Kiera was in tears, worried that the poor couch would miss us. I knew how she was feeling. As a kid, even though in my mind I knew that THINGS didn't have emotions, I still FELT things FOR them. I remember how hard it was for me when my parents sold our old gray Oldsmobile. I didn't want the car to "feel" abandoned.

I worried that this little couch experience would tramatize the girls. But we all talked about how important it is to take care of the things we have. But it's also important to not hold onto EVERYTHING even if we don't need it anymore. It's good to give to others who may not have the things we do. That evening we watched the movie "Kit Kitteridge," which drove this point home even more. Being a kid and learning these "life lessons" can be tough. But I guess that's what life is all about!