A Front Porch Swing

My entire life we have had a front porch with a swing.

When I was younger, we used to go outside to the porch and eat together or just sit and visit. As I got older, however, we didn’t spend nearly as much time out there as we used to. Occasionally, we did have friends or family come over and that gave us a great reason to sit outside and enjoy the outdoors and their company, but that wasn’t very often, and generally for special occasions.

The last few weeks have certainly been different than many would’ve expected, but different doesn’t necessarily mean bad. One of the more unexpected bonuses of prolonged time inside due to quarantine and weather is that as soon as the weather improved, the front porch made a serious comeback at our house.

Connecting with others looks so unique in this time. My family has very strictly quarantined due to higher health concerns, but no one can go forever alone. We have taken to spending a lot more time outside and I have a new appreciation for our front porch. When a couple of very close family friends wanted to see us (they hadn’t seen hardly anyone for a long time too), we were able to set up our front porch where we could see them and still have nearly 25 feet between us.

Following the social distancing guidelines is really hard, and we have been trying our best. That swing on our front porch is an opportunity to escape, relax, or connect with others. I didn’t realize how much I, and my family, truly missed getting to interact with people.

How can we keep the great connections that we already have and continue to connect with those around us in new, or maybe old, and exciting ways?

I challenge you to really ponder that question and how you can answer it. If you are like my family, you may not realize how much you miss connection and all that comes with it until you get a little taste of it again. Strive to find new, or old, ways of connecting with friends and family. As human beings we need to connect and see familiar faces, whether in person or through a screen. Knowing there is someone else close, yet distant, that we can share time and interact with can make a huge difference.

Something as simple as an old weathered front porch swing has helped me connect and brought me comfort in a time when being far away is the most acceptable. Although, it definitely isn’t the easiest to do so.

I wish you a future with a front porch swing of your own and many great connections in this time of unique challenges and opportunities.

Yours Truly,