The Rocking Chair
by Stephanie Nygaard
Illustrated by Madelyn Nygaard, age 15
A Mother’s Day story inspired by the real-life rocking chair that my mom rescued from the side of the road forty-something years ago.
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.”
~Psalm 127: 3
On the side of the road, covered in peeling black paint, a rocking chair sat all alone.
A truck pulled up and a couple got out.
“It’s perfect,” said the mama-to-be, a glow on her face.
“It needs a lot of work,” said the daddy-to-be.
The rocking chair felt itself being lifted and placed in the back of a truck.
A new home thought the rocking chair happily.
Once home, the couple got to work.
After scraping, scrubbing, painting, and polishing, the rocking chair emerged a beautiful chestnut brown.
The mama and daddy-to-be and the rocking chair waited in patient expectation for the baby.
And the baby came.
Stepping out into a cold, snow-filled night, the couple drove to the hospital.
Waiting alone, the quiet sounds of the new home wrapped around the rocking chair.
When the baby came home, the house filled with new sounds.
Roll, pop, creak, rock.
Time marched on.
From lullabies to nursery rhymes, story time to homework, the rocking chair was there for it all.
And before anyone could blink, the baby girl grew up.
Many years later, on a bright, shining day, the rocking chair felt a tingle of excitement. Something was about to happen.
The girl had returned.
“It’s perfect,” the rocking chair heard her say.
The grandma-to-be smiled.
The rocking chair felt itself being lifted and placed in the back of a truck.
Another new home thought the rocking chair happily.
The mama and daddy-to-be and the rocking chair waited in patient expectation for the baby.
And the baby came.
Stepping out into a stormy spring afternoon, the couple drove to the hospital.
The rocking chair was delighted that a new baby was coming.
When the baby came home, the house filled with familiar sounds.
Roll, pop, creak, rock.
Time marched on.
From lullabies to nursery rhymes, story time to homework, the rocking chair was there for it all.
And before anyone could blink, the baby girl grew up.
The rocking chair had no idea its life was about to change.
Lost in a mix up on moving day, the rocking chair found itself once again on the side of the road…
Many years later, a girl was looking for the last piece of furniture to finish a nursery.
“I’m sorry we never went back for the rocking chair,” the grandma-to-be said. “It would have been perfect.”
“We’ll find something here,” the great-grandma-to-be said, her eyes twinkling while a smile deepened her wrinkles. “I feel a tingle of excitement!”
Rounding a corner in the antique shop, the three of them saw a rocking chair tucked in a nook surrounded by odds-and-ends.
“It’s perfect!” the rocking chair heard all three of them say.
The rocking chair felt itself being lifted and placed in the back of a truck.
I’ll have a home again thought the rocking chair happily.
The mama and daddy-to-be and the rocking chair waited in patient expectation for the baby.
And the baby came.
Stepping out into balmy morning, the couple drove to the hospital.
The rocking chair was delighted that a new baby was coming.
When the baby came home, the house filled with familiar sounds.
Roll, pop, creak, rock.
Happy Mother’s Day!
~Stephanie
P.S. The rest of the illustrations are still in progress. I will share them here when they are finished. :)
This was so sweet! Both the story and the illustrations are so charming!
Absolutely DELIGHTFUL!!!!!❤️