For what reason could I possibly cry hysterically in the church gym in front of everybody?

They gave away my couch.

I know it's not really a big deal, and I believe on some level that I overreacted.  I love my couch, we have been through a TON together (kinda like me and my car.... if I were going to be attached to things, why couldn't they be pocket sized?).  When I was going through a really trying time in high school I could not sleep on my bed.  I am not sure why.  Sometimes I slept downstairs on the family couch, but mostly I slept on my ugly dated blue couch.  I had had it since my childhood. I have pictures of me and my great-grandma Hazel on that couch when I was around 4 or 5.  It was amazingly comfortable, physically and emotionally.

More than a year ago we sold 95% of our worldly goods in a garage sale held at our church.  I put a high price on my couch, people scoffed.  So, when it didn't sell... I didn't really mind.  But, what would I do with it?  We came up with a perfect solution: give it to the church.  The youth specifically.  They had a ton of couches in a circle in the youth room, but they could always use more.  So I was able to visit my couch.  Usually it was already full of people by the time I got down to the room, so I actually don't think I ever got to sit on it while it lived down there.

Tonight it was missing.  I asked the youth minister where it was.  They gave it away.

It went to a family in need, who had been living in their car and finally got an apartment.

I don't know if we specifically asked that they keep it so that we could eventually have it back or said anything about it being special at all.  I don't blame them, it was an extraordinary cause, I am glad it has a new home.

But...... it was a connection - to my childhood, to the home I once had with my family.  Some sort of anchor to my past and future.

You may think I overreacted, some of the people in the gym probably think that I am crazy or that someone died.  I can't even really express how I feel - this is a small portion.  Thanks for listening.