Uncle Russel's Rocker

At Easter, one of our long-time friends asked, "where's Russel's rocker?"

After my mother died and Uncle Russel's wife died, Russel moved into his brother's (my father's house) in Princeton, West Virginia.

Russel brought some furniture with him, including his rocking chair.

When I moved my Dad to CT, I brought some of Russel's furniture, including the rocker.

It was in our house for over 20 years in Cheshire.

My Dad and Russel were watching TV one night and my Dad said, "Russel, I'm going to bed."

Russel answered, sitting in his rocker, "I'm going to watch the 11 o'clock news, good night."

The next morning, my Dad got up to find Russel dead in his rocker.

Yet another reason not to watch the11 o'clock news.

Anyway, we had it for decades, first in New Haven and then in Cheshire.

But a few years ago, in one of her 'downsize' moments we put it out on the street and someone took it.

They don't know they're sitting in a rocker where someone died watching the news. 

We always knew.

Whenever I sat in it I remembered Russel and Sidney and Del and my Dad--all the Bradley brothers.

It was odd, but comforting.

I miss it.

Just as our Easter guest did.