The Lime Green Couch

We all have a bit of history and memory that are triggered through a smell, a touch, a taste or even sight.  In my case, it has been the sight of a 1970’s lime green couch that has brought back many memories.  My grandparents had the big and bright Kohler Sleep-n-Lounge in their living room for as a long as I can remember growing up. My aunt reminded me recently that the couch was actually recovered into this wonderful hue of lime green.   I only remember the lime green woolen fabric on the couch that was boxy and a bit scratchy to sit on.  My three sisters and I grew up making fun of this couch in all of its wonder and ugliness.  When my grandparents passed away in the late 1980’s, many of their possessions went with my uncle to the home he was building.  This included the lime green couch.  Each Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve for the past 26 years, my whole family has made the trek over to my uncle’s home to celebrate the holidays (and visit the lime green couch).  Many of the furnishings in his living room and home were my grandparents so it was comfortable and comforting to be surrounded by those items as we all gathered together.   We have had many good memories in the past 40 years or more of sitting on it to have our pictures taken, sleeping on it  after the Tryptophan kicked in from the Thanksgiving turkey, and even wrestling on it as we all fought to find a space to sit to open the Christmas presents.  

In June of 2013, my uncle passed away at the age of 82.  He was a life long bachelor without children and so my sisters and I along with his sister became his heirs.  I was given the task of managing his estate for the family as this is something I am familiar with as a professional organizer and social worker.  The downsizing, de-cluttering and moving things out is what I do.  I help people every day decide what to keep, what to give away and what to throw away/recycle.  It is a process that can be very emotional and upsetting to anyone going through it.  It is my job to give them encouragement, compassion and understanding. Now with the shoe on the other foot for my uncle’s estate, I was the person needing to give away, throw away or keep items that had been in my family for many years.  It is difficult to let some items go that you know was valued by another family member but no longer has a purpose or place in anyone else’s life.  As my family and I worked our way through the home to disperse the treasures and non-treasures, it became apparent that I was much more attached to certain items than I had expected….his coats and hat that had hung in the entry way….his calendar book….some photos…..and the lime green couch.  I tried to think of a way I could keep that couch but it just didn’t have a purpose or place in my home. So I decided to list many items for sale online including the couch.  I received multiple offers instantly to buy it as it was considered “Retro” and back in demand.  I was astounded as were my sisters!  The young woman who bought the couch was extremely excited to have it and exclaimed to me that she loved the color and said it was perfect! That made me happy and the decision to say goodbye easier.   As we loaded it into the truck and they shut the doors to the van, my heart sank.  The buyer got into the van and left. I began to sob.  It wasn’t just a lime green couch.  I felt like my childhood, my family members who had left this earth and all of the memories were leaving too.  I didn’t expect this reaction.   It took me a bit to gain my composure and think through what just had happened.  I was experiencing the same thing my clients experience when we are going through the process of organizing.  I felt humbled and more aware of that emotional and physical reaction.  It really gives me a deeper understanding of my clients’ thoughts and feelings and how I can support them through their life transitions.

I  said goodbye to the Lime Green Couch and a part of myself in the process.  I hope that the new owner has many good memories that just maybe involve the lime green couch that was a fixture in the background of my family’s life for so many years. J