Porch Swing

It is a late summer, beautifully warm, perfectly sunny, quiet day as I sit here on my porch.  My lovely old house has a wide, graceful front porch.  The kind that wraps half way around the house, and creates an outdoor room full of shade and breeze.  And right on the corner of the porch hangs a creaky, wooden porch swing.  Our house was a flip.  Someone before us bought it only for the purpose of fixing it and reselling it.  So maybe the porch swing was an afterthought, a way to fill up some of the vast expanse of the wide front porch, and maybe attract attention to the porch that continued on around the side of the house.  Maybe the company repairing the house only intended it as a feature to draw people in.  

Or maybe it was intended to draw attention to the view.  Across the street from my house is the mouth of a creek that feeds into the Chesapeake Bay.  So as I sit on my porch swing, I can watch boats go by, or watch kayakers on the creek, or just watch the sun sparkle on the water.  I feel the gentle breeze, keeping the front porch cool and comfortable even in the heat of summer.
It has become a favorite place to curl up with a book. Or a crochet project.  A welcoming place to relax and just enjoy the day.

It has become the favorite place for my two little grandsons to curl up on my lap for a snuggle, a nap, or a favorite book.  Or sometimes a snack, (but don't tell their mamas.) My dear husband has begun having quite philosophical discussions with my little 2yr old grandson while swinging on the swing. My porch swing has become 'neutral ground' when Darling and I have a disagreement and need to talk.  We even invented the idea of a 'fifteen minute date', because when there is a storm, we love to go sit on the porch swing and enjoy the rain for a while, outside, but still protected from the rain and lightning.

It has become the 'hangout' spot on family cookout days, when my three kids just want to sit together and catch up.  I have several little friends who like to sit on the swing and rock their baby dolls to sleep while I visit with their mamas.  Another little friend pretends it's a pirate ship, and the swaying is the motion of the wave on the high seas, as he sails off to another adventure.

The first moment I saw this house, I knew I loved the porch swing.  It was charming, hanging there, overlooking the bay. But I didn't realize at the time how much a part of everyday life it would be come, or what a favorite, cherished place it would become.

Somehow, sitting here in the shade, feeling the breeze, and watching the sun sparkle on the water washes all the trials of the day away.  Calms my soul, eases my worries, refreshes me in a way very few things do.  Gently rocking on the porch swings reminds me to stop, slow down a while, and enjoy the simple things life brings our way.

It is a precious treasure to have a place like that in my home.  It is a wonderful privilege to be able to share this special place with my friends and family.  And it is an everyday joy to spend a few minutes on my porch swing.