Rocking Chairs

Thank goodness for rocking chairs. Moving back and forth in a smooth rhythmic fashion has made much of my life far more pleasant. From childhood, into adolescence, and then adulthood, rocking in a variety of types of chairs has served me well. In early childhood I often spent time in the soft, spring-loaded chair in our living room gazing out the front window while looking across the street to where a large field beckoned a variety of birds to feed. During my adolescent years I often parked myself into a comfortable rocking chair in our finished basement to read while a blazing, wood-burning stove warmed the room. Two different rocking chairs in my grandmother’s small home provided a respite from the cacophony of family gatherings. Unfortunately, I had to vie for time in those chairs with several cousins who sought the same rhythmic refuge. After graduating college and getting my first apartment, my first purchase was a wonderful wooden rocker with perfect angles on the runners and excellent support for the lower back that I found at a thrift store in Sacramento, California. To this day, I only really feel comfortable sitting when in a rocking chair. The ability to move back and forth helps me to relax and concentrate. I can work in a stationary chair…but to truly relax and enjoy myself…or to think deeply and work on solving complex problems…a rocking chair moves things to a completely different level…