How much is it worth to you?

I stood in line for several hours that Saturday afternoon in Wichita's Century II Convention Center with the thousands of others who had ventured there for the same purpose.  The popular PBS show Antiques Roadshow had come to south central Kansas and as each of us stood in line clutching our treasures, we all were wondering just what those famous appraisers would say about them.  In my arms, I cradled the most valuable thing that I thought I owned, a child's bentwood rocker that had been in my family since the year 1900.  Was it a rare find?  Could it be worth millions?  No and uh, no. 

By the time I made it to one of the people who gave each of the items a "look-see", I began to sadly realize that it probably would be one of those things that was referred to as "sentimental value" only.  Turns out that little rockers, just like mine, were mass produced at the turn of the century.  It was nothing all that special but the person that I spoke with did give me some tips on what I should do to preserve it.  I was advised not to paint it but to rather leave the worn appearance of the wood just as it was.  The man I spoke with told me it adds to the "character" that the chair has.  You know, as I turned away from him and headed back out the door to head home, I realized that there is a value to things that sometimes no amount of money will ever buy.  My little rocking chair was a good example for that. 

Now that I look at the worn seat, arm rails and the complimentary "ottoman/foot rest bar", I can just about imagine a little one sitting in it.  As I type the words, I can just about hear my mom's voice calling out to me, "Peggy Ann get your feet off of that bar.  It wasn't meant for that!"  The man at the Antiques Roadshow  was right on that account.  It truly does add the character. 

The story of how I even came to own the chair is a memorable one for me.  Originally it belonged to my grandparents, Andrew and Catherine Brown.  All 3 of their little girls rocked in it, my mom being one of them.  In time, their 12 grandchildren (me being one of them) sat in it and rocked just the same.  As we all grew up and had children of our own, our children continued in the tradition.  Even one of my own great-nieces, an additional generation of Brown Family descendants, sat her bottom into the seat of Grandmother's old rocking chair.  During our Scott Family reunion back in 2009, little 5-year old Megan Dwyer was the only one tiny enough to actually do that.  That little one was the last to do so.

The little rocker always sat in Grandmother Brown's spare bedroom at 215 Locust Street in Halstead, Kansas.  As the years went by and she got so very much older, Grandmother began to give away a few of her things and put into auction many of the others.  The little rocker went into the very last sale before she moved into long-term care at the age of 101.  Both my cousin and I were interested in buying it and although I would have hated to have bid against him, I was prepared to do whatever I needed to.  We joked about it a lot, he and I, and the morning of the sale I came with my checkbook in hand as I prepared to become the owner of it.  Funny though, as the auctioneer put it on the block, my cousin disappeared just long enough for me to be the winner.  It was only myself and one other man who were bidding on it.  I was prepared to stay there all night if need be.  That little rocker belonged to me.  It started at $5 (geesch hard to believe) and I kept at it with $5 bids at a time.  The stranger that was bidding against me backed out at $40.  I remember thinking that $40 was probably more money than I should have spent on that day in 1993 but now I am so glad that I did.  In my mind, I kept telling myself that $100 had to be my limit and I'm surely glad that I didn't have to come up with that much in the end.  It seems strange to imagine that I was so concerned about spending the $40 back then on a chair that would stay with me forever.  Today I drop that amount of money off at the local City Market just for a tank of gas.  Times change I guess.

It's been with me now for over 20 years and when I came to live here along the Western Slopes, it travelled along as well.  I've enjoyed having it and remembering the lovely and kind grandmother who it once belonged to.  When I rub my fingers over the smoothly worn seat I think about all of the "little" people who helped to create that effect.  I can imagine my own 3 children sitting there with their little legs dangling down and if I listen carefully in my heart, I can almost hear their sweet young voices calling "Momma" to me.  It was destined to be mine from the moment it was obtained by my grandparents, now 114 years ago.  Now in the winter of 2014, things have changed.  Its time has come to move on to another generation.

Tomorrow morning I will get it prepared to be mailed on to my son and daughter-in-law to be given to them in honor of the birth of my first grandchild in now just a few weeks away.  Ricky and Angie don't know whether they are having a boy or a girl, nor do they wish to know until it is born.  Whether they have a daughter or a son is not important to them.  They are wishing for a healthy baby and so am I.  The "new life" that arrives in just about 6 weeks is being born into a very loving family and will have two parents who were chosen just for him/her.  Hey, and if they were chosen to be the parents, well I guess that means I was chosen to be the grandmother as well.  :)  I look forward to seeing a picture in the years to come of a very special little "Miller baby" sitting in their Great-Great Grandmother Brown's rocking chair.  Catherine Brown would have loved to see that too.

Have a blessed Sunday everyone out there.  You are all in my heart this day which explains why things seem so crowded right now in there.  Full heart~

 
                                               I'm glad that it was mine for a while. 

I'm so grateful to this beautiful young woman, my daughter-in-law Angie, for safely carrying that precious life inside of her.  It's not easy and I'm sure she is very tired by this point in time.  That little baby is the product of two wonderful people  who love each other very much.  What more could a "grandmother" have asked for in this life?  Not much~