An Old Chair and a Worn-Out Couch

A young couple knocked at my mother’s door. They asked about the old chair I had put at the curb. Was it for sale? If so, what was the price? I answered their question and told them it was free; they could have it. The couple thanked me and seemed delighted. They said they had recently rented their first apartment and had no furniture; this would look good in their apartment.

My mother had recently passed away, and my wife, brother, sister-in-law, and I were cleaning out her house. I asked them if they could use the matching sofa. What happened next shocked me. After saying yes, they wanted the couch. The man and woman began to cry.

Puzzled, I asked if I had offended them. The lady said something beautiful, like, “No, the chair and couch are the only two pieces of furniture we have for starting a life together.”

I read of the discovery of famous paintings and the finding of enormous amounts of money in a piece of furniture bought at a Salvation store. Many of us read or hear stories about people finding treasure in old couches or stuffed behind walls. But few stories are like the beat-up couch and worn chair. There was no money socked away in it either.

I remember thinking; this is my lucky day to have helped a deserving couple with two worn but free furniture pieces. The couch and chair represented a start for the couple and a joyous feeling for me.