It stands alone. If you look at it for very long, you might determine it’s lonely; however, it’s made to bring comfort to the weary traveler, and it does its job very well. It may be an elderly woman who just needed a quick rest before finishing her walk back to her room. It may be the young, new mom who tries desperately to get her newborn back to sleep. It may be the young teen who kicks back to watch the game, only to find his favorite team didn’t fair too great today. It may be the bench upon which the newlyweds pose for the pictures of their new life together. The chair can provide so many comforts.
Or maybe it has a more pragmatic approach today…the husband grabs it to stand upon while replacing the bulb overhead. The grandmother uses it to reach the box at the top of the closet, you know, the one with the pretty shoes for that special occasion. The children silently move it over to obtain the hidden cookies in the cabinet that mom thought she had secretly hid. The friend slides it back to be there for her ‘bestie’ who just suffered a breakup. The chair can serve in so many practical ways.
Or maybe it’s there for a more elite purpose, for appearance sake…the studio bought it for the upcoming celebrity shots and publicity showing. The antique store bought it to draw in a crowd, desiring top dollar at the next auction. The millionaire bought it to complement his prestigious office, never to be sat upon, of course, only for lust and desire. The chair can serve such audacious purposes.
Yet, did you ever wonder who was once there? Was it a frightened young girl who crawled up in her Daddy’s arms to chase away the storm? Was it a teenage girl longing for a tan to turn a few heads, never realizing she’s beautiful even without the change? Maybe it was the new mom who just laid her baby down but needs to stay just a moment longer to watch him breathe and assure her beating heart that he will awake in the mourn. Maybe it was the returning hero who left too much in the war but is overwhelmed by the love and applause he receives while arriving home. Maybe it was the elderly man who used to watch his wife as she kissed him goodnight, but now, he sits all alone reminiscing of years gone by.
The chair can tell us so many things yet leave so many stories untold. Often, when you see a chair and its owner resting in the same place, over time, they seem to mold to one another’s character. When he or she leaves that place, the chair seems to be missing a valuable part of life; sometimes, it even seems to sag without its owner’s presence. Could it possibly have elated feelings, and maybe even a sigh of relief, when the owner returns from too long of a vacation or an extended walk upon the beach? … Have you ever wondered when you see an empty chair?