Lessons from the Front Porch

A few weeks ago I spoke at a Ladies’ Day in Alabama that had as their theme “Lessons from the Front Porch.” They did a magnificent job with the decorations and every detail for the day was planned and executed with perfection.

As I sat and thought about what I might speak about for this particular theme, I was transported back to a time in my life when front porches (or sometimes back porches) were very common on most houses. I grew up living next door to my paternal grandparents and their house had a huge (or at least it seemed huge to me) front porch. It was one of those porches that wrapped around two sides of the house, had banisters all around, a comfy porch swing, and lots of other seating for everyone.

Most of my evenings in the summer were spent playing on the lawn or catching lightning bugs while all of my relatives and a few neighbors gathered on that porch. Talking and laughter could be heard from where I played with my cousins and friends. I don’t remember a single time when I felt anything less than secure on those evenings.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I learned some valuable lessons from that front porch.

• I felt loved. The people who loved me most on this earth were together on that porch. Of course, my parents and grandparents were there, but any of those neighbors and friends would have come to my rescue if something bad had happened to me.
• I felt happy. Relatives, neighbors and friends enjoyed spending time together just talking with one another. There was no need for any kind of entertainment or game. They just talked and laughed together for several hours.
• I felt relaxed. Time seemed to move more slowly then. The evenings seemed long and filled with hide-and-go-seek, red rover, hopscotch, and lots of other childhood games.  
• I felt wonder. Lightning bugs were magical and a summer shower that came up would provide puddles in which to play. The hot summer nights didn’t seem to bother the adults or us.
• I felt secure. I never heard arguing or bickering on that front porch. Oh, I’m not saying it didn’t happen, but it never got loud enough or ugly enough to take my childish attention away from my fun or cause fear in me.  

These thoughts may seem old fashioned to those of you reading this post, but as I thought about that simple time in my life I wondered if we are not missing something by not spending our evenings just talking while surrounded by family and friends.

You see, we have moved from the front porch to the back patio, out of sight of most people. When we look for a house we sometimes ask for space inside for a “man cave” or a “she shed.” Air conditioning has forced many of us to spend our time behind the walls of our house, and too often we don’t even know who our neighbors are.

I’m glad there was a front porch in my childhood and that I learned some really valuable lessons in life. They helped shape me into the person I am.

We don’t have a large front porch anymore – but we do have a side patio where family, neighbors and friends are welcomed to come sit and visit for a while.  What a blessing!

“Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.”  (Mark 6:31a)

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AUTHOR: Donna Faughn