"The Giving Couch"

A 42 Year Old Relationship Comes To An End...

Once there was a couch..... and she loved a little girl. And one day the girl would gather with her family and take pictures and put those into a photo album.  She would climb up her cushions and sit on her arm rests and take naps. And they would play hide-and-go-seek. And when the girl was tired, she would sleep on her slip cover. And the girl loved the couch.......very much. And the couch was happy.

Me
Six Months Old

But time went by. And the girl grew older. And the couch was often alone. Then one day the girl came to the couch and the couch said "Come, Jennifer, come and climb up my cushions and sit on my arm rests and take naps and be happy"

"I am too big to climb and play", said the girl. "I want to buy a house and fill it with furniture. I want a fancy living room like my parent's house. Can you give me a fancy living room?"

My parent's Kentucky condo

"I'm sorry," said the couch, "but I live in Vero Beach now, I have only matching Parson's stools and throw pillows. Ask your mom, Jennifer, and perhaps she will let me move to Tampa. Then your living room will be fancy and you will be happy." And so the girl convinced her mom, packed up the stools and gathered her pillows and carried them away. And the couch was happy.

Christmas in Tampa

But the girl stayed away for a long time.. and the couch was sad. And then one day the cat and the dog discovered the couch.  They scratched up the cushions and made the couch smell.  When the girl came back, the couch shook with joy and she said, "Come, Girl, climb up my cushions and sit on my arm rests and take naps and be happy." "You are too shabby," said the girl.

"I want a fancy couch to be the center of my living room," she said. "I want to have visitors and I want them to not be covered in pet fur and to sit comfortably, and so I need proper cushions. Can you give me new cushions?" "I have no fabric remnants," said the couch. "This is my best, but you may flip over my cushions, get new throw pillows and keep the dog out. Then you will be happy." And the girl washed and flipped over her cushions, kept the dog out, was satisfied with the fluffing. And the couch was happy.

Summer's birthday
(Note the excessive throw pillows.)

But the girl stayed away for a long time. And when she came back, the couch was so happy she could hardly speak. "Come, Girl," she whispered, "come and play." "I am too old and busy to play," said the girl. "I want an office that will serve as a place to complete homework and as a comfy space. Can you be the couch for my office?" "Remove the annoying throw pillows and allow my cushions to be flat," said the couch. "Then you can be casual...... and be happy." And so the girl donated the throw pills and allowed the cushions to be flat. And the couch was happy....

*Sigh*

But not really. And after a long time the girl and her mom came back again. "I am sorry, girls," said the couch, "but I have nothing left to give you----" "My feathers are flat." "Our lives are too busy for fluffing," said the girls. "My cushions are thread bare," said the couch. "You cannot flip them over ------" "We are too embarrassed to ," said the girls. "My arm rest stuffing is gone," said the couch. "You cannot climb--------" "We are too grown up to climb," said the girls. "I am sorry," sighed the couch. "I wish that I could give you something------ but I have nothing left. I am just an old stump."

"There are many people who don't need very much now," said the girl. "just a quiet place to sit and rest." "Well," said the couch, straightening herself up as much as she could, "well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting. Come, girl, sit down. Sit down and consider donating* me to another home." And the girl did. (But first the girl wrote a fractured fairy tale of sorts...)And the couch was happy.

Look for the prequel coming soon!

* http://www.youthranches.org/