Two years ago, John built my sun porch. It is my retreat, my writing space, and where we hang-out. It is where I recouped from my heart attack last year; it was and still is my sanctuary.
Someone said, “The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with, never say a word, then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation that you ever had.” How grateful I am for friends like this.
Porch sitting seems to be a lost art, but in my house it is the hub of our family.
We had decided to move to a younger house; there continues to be help that this house requires. As we talked about it and looked at houses, I realized that what I needed/wanted/desired was a porch.
This year our house is 99 years old, and it is listed on the Historic Register. We have lived here for thirty years. It has three closets now; only one was here when we bought it. Storage space continues to be an issue. In the beginning the attic was reached by crawling through a hole in the ceiling of the pantry, then a hole in a new closet, and now through pull-down stairs. (Evolving and ever-changing describes our sojourn here.) The green carpet was removed to show of the hardwood floors. Windows, walls, wiring, and plumbing have all been replaced. A deck was added that then became a screened porch. A leaky roof destroyed that space.
I grew up with a porch. It started as a screened porch and then became a sun porch. After a meal, friends were invited to the back porch. Birthdays were celebrated there, and it became the place for opening Christmas presents. My dad read the morning paper there. Our son learned to walk on that porch. There were even a few times when my brother came in after the door was locked and slept on the porch.
We haven’t moved, and the reason why is my porch. Friends enjoy the porch. It is cozy and peaceful. Carrying my coffee to it starts my day.
The South is full of porches of all sizes. My front porch is full of wicker furniture and flower pots that are viewed by the public, but my sun porch is where my family and friends gather.
I hope you have your own porch. If you don’t, you might want to consider this addition to your home.
Tracy Lawrence wrote this song, “If the World had a Front Porch,” and it speaks truth about porches.
“It was where my mama sat on that old swing with her crochet
It was where grandaddy taught me how to cuss and how to pray
It was where we made our own ice cream those sultry summer nights
Where the bulldog had her puppies and us brothers had our fights
There were many nights I’d sit right there and look out at the stars
To the sound of a distant whippoorwill or the hum of a passin’ car
It was where I first got up the nerve to steal me my first kiss
And it was where I learned to play guitar and pray I had the gift
If the world had a front porch like we did back then
We’d still have our problems but we’d all be friends
Treatin’ your neighbor like he’s your next of kin
Wouldn’t be gone with the wind
If the world had a front porch like we did back then.”
I bet you can guess where I am right now!
Sheila Ingle 