The Boston Rocker

One day while my wife and I were engaged, but not yet married, she decided that we needed to get started on our furniture. Now, any young couple are going to get offered a truckload of cast-off furniture from well-meaning relatives, but she wanted something of our own, a piece we had bought ourselves. 

              Back in those days, there was this thing called Layaway. Layaway was for people who did not have credit. You would put a little bit down on the purchase, and the store would hold it for you until you got it paid off. Pam and I had no credit at all. 

              One day we stopped in at a Western Auto store that was on Towson Avenue in Fort Smith. Why that store particularly, I do not recall. Among the items they had was a very nice Boston Rocker, and Pam immediately fell in love with it. We put down a little dab of money, paid on it for a while, and finally were able to take it home. When we set up our housekeeping a little later, the rocker was the first item. 

              That rocker became very significant in our family’s history because my wife bore me six children, and every one of them was rocked for many hours in that Boston rocker. I can remember vividly Pam rocking the children when they were fretful or sick, when I knew that she herself had not had any appreciable amount of sleep in days. As every good rocker should, it eventually developed a creak that worked wonderfully in getting children to sleep. 

              At some point the back part of one of the runners on the chair was broken off. I do not remember when or how, but it was a good many years ago, seeing that we have had it for almost half a century now. Several times I have offered to have it fixed for Pam, but she has refused. It still works fine (as long as you do not rock backward too far). And since that chair is where she has rocked her children, and her grandchildren, she doesn’t want it touched as long as it still works. There are too many memories in it. So, I have not touched it.