STILL SO SWEET

I found this stuffed inside of a book that I won. The contest was to write a short story about your favorite chair. I knew right away what my story would be. Enjoy.

The best and most special chair in my home has been relegated to storage in the attic - for now. It's a Fisher-Price high chair that faithfully and securely held each of my four sons while withstanding the endless abuses of everyday baby/toddler life;

creatively consumed spaghetti messes

tomato soup used mostly as a fashion statement

skillfully dismantled first birthday cakes

and more Cheerios and juice drinks that you could count in a lifetime.

When my fourth and final child graduated to the big boy chair, and it was finally time to retire the high chair for good, I marveled at the hard knocks this unassuming piece of hardware had taken. Even more surprising was the fact that it still looked relatively good - no tears or rips in the seat, no permanent tray stains, and no wobbly legs. Some definite signs of wear to be sure, but still undeniably strong.

Our sons are now 18, 16, 12, and 9 - the oldest in college and the youngest grasping for his independence. Raising a family has been harder than I ever imagined it could possibly be. Life, with all of its unexpected curveballs, is not unlike that picture-perfect birthday cake smeared all over the high chair tray - maybe not how you imagined or even preferred it to be - but so sweet nonetheless.

During a recent whole-house clean out, my husband suggested that we get rid of the high chair. But I couldn't. Not only does it represent so much that was good in my past, it also represents hope for the future as I eagerly anticipate the day I can pull that chair out of my attic, dust it off, and once again marvel at a new generation of blessed messy-ness!