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Parenting

05th Jun 2018

‘THE white couch’ This parenting message has us absolutely bawling

Cathy Donohue

'THE white couch'

This might sound familiar.

While you might dream of an all-white, spacious living room complete with stunning furniture and brass accents, this really isn’t feasible when you have kids.

Their toys have to go somewhere, they will get their hands dirty, food gets everywhere and let’s be honest, it’s better to prepare for this in advance.

Although a Pinterest perfect room might seem like the dream, the reality is your little ones grow up all too fast and treasuring that time is so important.

Lauren Eberspacher, a mum of three, recently penned a Facebook post which sums up this exact feeling.

It describes the couch of her dreams but then Lauren goes on to say that someday the family will have that white couch but it will be a bittersweet feeling because her kids will have flown the nest.

The mum, who blogs at From Black Top to Dirt Road, shared the lengthy post on social media to remind parents of how fleeting childhood is and how important it is to cherish this time.

You can check out her blog here and below is her post. Warning, if you’re anything like us, you’re likely to shed a tear or two.

“Dear Husband, someday we’re gonna have a white couch.

You know… THE white couch. The one that I always have tabbed in the Pottery Barn magazine. The one that we run our fingers across when we walk by it in the isle.

Yeah. THE white couch. Someday we’re gonna save up and get one.

Yes, Dear Husband, someday we’re gonna have a white couch.

And it’s gonna be clean. There aren’t going to be juice stains on it, there won’t be apple cores shoved in between the cushions, and it won’t smell like curdled milk. There won’t be worn stains on the arms where the kids have jumped off of it and the cushions won’t sink down in the middle from where they bounced on them. We won’t have to scrub out stains or sprinkle baking soda on it after someone doesn’t make it to the potty in time.

And Dear Husband, someday we’re gonna have a white couch.

When people come over, we aren’t gonna have to clear the toys off of it. The throw pillows are always going to be in their rightful place and the throw blankets will always be folded on the arm rest where they belong, not strategically laid out so that they cover the tears in the cushions or the stains on the fabric. We won’t sit down on tiny cars or get poked by Barbie arms. We will just sit with our company and enjoy the comfort of our white couch.

But Dear Husband, someday we’re gonna have a white couch.

When we sit on it together in the evenings, we’re going to find ourselves running our fingers across that gorgeous, clean fabric that we’ve saved for and dreamt of for years. And we’re gonna miss those stains because it’s going to mean that our kids aren’t so little anymore. The arm rests are going to be sturdy and the cushions are going to be fluffy. I’m sure it’s going to be just as comfortable as we thought it was going to be. But I’m sure there’s going to be a twinge as we reminisce about our kids jumping off of our couch from years ago. Pretending they are super heroes or going on wild adventures. I think that someday we’re gonna miss the years of our old, worn couch.

And Dear Husband, someday we’re gonna have a white couch.

When our company comes over everything is going to be set up on it just so. Oh, it will look just like the one in the magazine, pretty pillows and all! We won’t be embarrassed by the stains or the tears, but we will miss the reminders of the little people who once played here. We won’t hear their laughter running down the hallways as they get ready to launch onto our old couch. We won’t be interrupted by “I love you, Mommy”‘s or cuddles on a rainy day. Yes, we will be comfortable on our white couch, but we might also be lonely.

So today, Dear Husband, let’s cherish our old, worn couch. Let’s keep scrubbing out the stains and repositioning the throw blankets. Let’s keep cuddling up with our babies and watching them go off on grand adventures in our living room. Dear Husband, let’s cherish the days of our old, worn couch. Because the years we have with it will undoubtedly be the most precious, exhausting, beautiful days of our lives. Yes, someday we will get a white couch. But today I’m thankful for the one that we have… for the little people we have.

Stains and all”.