Lately, we keep it out all year ’round and just bundle up so that we can enjoy it even in the autumn and winter.
My mom used to say “life is like rocking in a rocking chair. It feels good but it gets you no where.” She was a doer, never stopping except to nap. She loved her naps, and passed that on to me, but that’s another blog. Even with that sage wisdom Mom shared, she always had a rocking chair. And, additionally, she always had a porch, whether it was a side, back, or front porch, she had one.
Mom grew up in Tennessee, and I spent many summers there as a child, rocking in my grandmother’s rocking chair, or porch glider, or my great-grandma’s porch swing. Dolly Parton even sings about the timeless comfort of sitting on a front porch on a summer’s afternoon. She preferred straight back chairs on two legs, but that’s okay. She obviously had places to go and people to see and not enough time for rocking.
I’ve kept up with my mom’s traditions, and my grand- and great-grand’s traditions of making sure my home and haven has a porch. And a porch swing.
We don’t use the porchswing to idle time away wastefully. We use it for self care, for time outs, for deep and meaningful conversations, to get to know one another, to build community, and to just enjoy life. Time spent on a porch is never wasted.
My sis, Jeana, has nurtured the love of front porches, and takes her porch to a whole new level of simple sweet living (which happens to be the name of her blog, check her out!). Stepping onto her porch is like walking into a Country Living magazine and a great big hug all at once. She keeps her porch set up all year round, decorating it as the season’s change. And she always has tasty treats and yummy drinks to cool you down or warm you up, whatever your need.
Porches and porch swings play a prominent role in all of my stories. In TEN BUCKS AND A WISH, Deanna and Cord reminisce about stolen kisses they shared as teenagers while getting to know one another again on their front porch. They soon learn as adults it’s time to try and heal their trust and love in one another.
In LOVE IN THE FOREST, (First book of the Earth and Sky series now available for pre-order with a release date of June 2, 2021) Brooke and Josh get to know one another on a front porch swing, and learn that while their worlds may be vastly different, their souls are in sync.
In LIFE IS FOR LIVING, Barefoot Dan and Jayde work through the awkwardness of sharing a brief one night stand that had life altering results—four years after the fact—when they run into one another over . . . and over . . . and over. It’s almost like the Universe has something else planned for them. And these plans materialize while they get to know one another . . . you guessed it, on Jayde’s front porch swing. Look for Jayde and Dan’s story in 2022.
Do you have any front porch memories? Do you have a front porch? If so, look for me on Facebook, or Instagram, and share a porch swing or front porch picture or memory. You can always comment below, or write me at janinagrey143@gmail.com.
Looking forward to porch popping with you!
Janina Grey 