I forgot how old I was today. I couldn’t decide if I was 43 or 44. That’s how it starts, isn’t it?

This blog is work. It’s a job, and one I don’t enjoy when I’m struggling with subject matter or when I’ve left it for very last thing and I’m so sleepy and just want to go to bed. Or when my phone keeps dinging with texts and I feel obligated to answer, because y’all don’t know when I’m writing and when I’m just sitting around. And besides, it ain’t like I’m in the middle of some big scientific breakthrough or other Very Important Task.

Today I went furniture shopping. We started at Big Lots, because it was on the way and you never know. The salesman there was very friendly and helpful. Then our journey took us to Knoxville Wholesale out Clinton Highway, where we met a nice lady by the name of Shannon, who carried a tape measure and wore dress pants with tennis shoes. I get it, lots of running around, but the men were still in dress shoes and slacks. Maybe she had a medical condition. Somehow we managed to evade all the traffic and made it over to Rooms to Go, where we encountered a guy named Wayne. It wasn’t Wayne’s first day, but I don’t think he’d been there long enough to have a birthday. All these people along the way were perfectly pleasant, and answered our questions. It was quite amazing how many people were out shopping for furniture. I mean, truly. But on the way to Haverty’s, we were passing LaZ Boy, and this is where I experienced true salesmanship.

We were greeted by a dapperly dressed man named Chris. He made conversation and determined our needs. He wanted to let us shop, but we kept finding ourselves immersed in furniture questions and he was our guy. Did you know that LaZ Boy furniture is made in DAYTON TENNESSEE??? Did you know that LaZ boy has a lifetime guarantee on the springs and woodwork in their products and they will come to your place to work on it for a small service fee? Did you know that the power controls have a three year warranty and are much easier to work on than the rip cord or levers? And that they offer all their furniture fully customizable, from the grade and quality of leather to different fabrics or power control options?

I do. I know all of those things now, thanks to Chris.

Did you also know that LaZ Boy offers free interior design? Oh yes. Did you know that when I replace my living room furniture I will be driving directly to LaZ Boy, not passing go or collecting $200.00?

We shook our heads and said we should have come here first. But I realized that maybe it happened as it should have: maybe we had to go experience furniture shopping in a mediocre environment to fully appreciate the level of expertise we got from the good people at LaZ Boy.

I think it’s like friends. Perhaps we have to spend time around those we’re not especially crazy about to realize how awesome some of the people in our life are. Maybe you have to have a friend that flakes out on you every time you turn around to appreciate the one who’s always right in your corner, holding a sword, ready to march into battle. Maybe you have to have the friends who challenge you and have the big discussions and ask the difficult questions to be grateful for, as opposed to those who are dim witted, sarcastic, or lackadaisical. Maybe we need to keep close those people who value their relationship with God and have manners as opposed to those who think acting bawdy and crass is cool. Maybe we forget how wonderful our circle is until we’re shoehorned into another one and you realize how we don’t belong, and how you don’t want to belong, because their behavior is embarrassing. But you have grace, and you can pray for these people but you don’t have to become one of them, and you don’t have to be their friend. And you can be honest and say it.

So wherever this Easter Sunday finds you, I hope you have a sense of belonging. I hope you are with your favorite people, those who let you feel comfortable in your own skin. I hope you are at your very best. And I hope you have a very happy and blessed resurrection day, and realize how this was the greatest gift we could ever receive. I hope you haven’t had to try out other forms of non-religion to get here, but if that was your path and you wound up here and saved, welcome home.

Love from Appalachia,

~Amy