My Fave Chair to Yours

Do you have a Rocking Chair in your home?

The rocking chair can be found in many places today, airports, in front of restaurants for the
waiting patrons, in hospitals, nurseries, and maybe in your living room.

I’ve seen some fabulous craftmanship in rocking chairs sold in Bellingham, WA and in LA
Connor, WA in past years. I would have loved one of those beauties. REI Seattle, WA
www.rei.com/c/rocking-chairs even has outdoor camping rocking chairs. I bet you could
name a few more types and places for the sighting of rockers.

My thinking of the rocking chair is that it is meant for relaxing. The movement of rocking is
calming for babies as well as adults. Soothing to the nerves and provides that relaxation that
often leads to sleep.

Two rocking chairs I have had in our home. First one came from my mother-in-law. One that she
had held many children in. I acquired it at the birth of our first son. It was placed in his nursery.
Many nights I tested out the promise of sleep for my little guy in that chair. It didn’t work, I have
to tell you. He was always up at night until he was about 3 or 4. A restless one he was. I held
onto the dream & moved it to the living room when our two boys were older, and we would read
books from that chair. Do you have some of those cuddly moments to retrieve from your
memory? Favorite times, right?

The second chair came from one of my clients. She was a Senior client, and I spent many hours
chatting with her from her rocking chair. One that she has had since 1930. It looks like more of
an antique. Her chair was a favorite when I visited her & I would remark about how comfortable
it was. Well-worn down to the raw wood, many spots were absent of the original wood stain.
When she moved, the chair was sold to me! Many of my clients have to downsize in an Estate
Sale so that I can prepare the home to Sell. I fell in love with the chair & my experience with this
very independent woman. She had custom built her home & it was not easy for her to leave it
but after time the two of us found a solution for her.

While working on the Sale of her home as her Realtor, the news of having a grandson was
announced. The first grandson! Exciting time. I thought a rocking chair would be needed for
the room I was expecting that little guy to spend some time in. As with many ideas we create &
plan for, this one did not work out as I had envisioned.

No problems of any kind but, there was no need for rocking grandbabies in the chair.  Good
news out of this story is that my training as a Senior Real Estate Specialist was of help in
working with this lady in her late 80’s. I find that many times a rocky chair is helpful in staying
calm & helping Senior clients make transitions with the Real Estate they own. Give me a call if
you have Parents in their Senior years or if you are in the frame of mind to downsize or get into
a different living situation. I can help. lifestylestolive.com.

Today, that rocky chair is home to “You are the Sunshine of my Life” Pillow. Remember the
song “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” 1973 single released by Stevie Wonder. The song
became Wonder’s third number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and his first number-
one on the Easy Listening chart. It won Wonder a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal
Performance and was nominated for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
In front of the pillow, we have a chair full of cuddliest (stuffed animals) A few Beanie Babies
from my collections. I have inherited about a hundred of them. Check it out, do you have a
valuable one.  The 10 most valuable beanie babies

It was a crazy fad launched in 1993. I remember my mother was into them. Now, the rocking
chair is home for the collection and their friends.

I’m blessed to have the rocking chair and the grandsons while singing, “You are my Sunshine.”

Plans that do not work out, sometimes turn out better than the original.

My client is still in touch with me a now in a Retirement community where she enjoys what I call
the 4 th quarter lifestyle. She has been an inspiration!

Cheers!

about

Teresa Barthol

Teresa Barthol -Managing Broker with eXp Realty Seattle.  Brings 22 plus years’ experience to consult with clients about real estate in the 3rd and 4th quarters of their lives. .  With longevity in Real Estate Teresa loves to share her optimistic problem solving skills, creative out of the box thinking along with her enthusiasm for great outcomes. “Believe,” she will say, your desires in life will be realized. Teresa focuses on Lifestyles to Live within the four walls you call home.

With Guest Authors: 
Marcelle Allen from Dreamosity
Elisa Hawkinson - How2GetOrganized!
Karen Herold - Wise Transition