Several months back I wrote a little paragraph about front porches. At the time, I didn’t realize I would strike a nerve with so many people. But I am grateful and honored to have had such amazing conversations about front porches with so many people throughout the summer. I had no idea there were others who are as sentimental as I am about their memories of front porch sitting and lightning bug-catching days. The words that kept being said over and over to me, “It was just a simpler time.” To that I say, “Amen!”
I think that carefree feeling, if you were lucky enough to have it, of having summers running around barefoot till the streetlights came on and eating watermelon on the front porch with the neighborhood kids is something we almost yearn for these days. With that said, anyone who knows Tim and I, knows that of the two of us, I’m the front porch-sitting one. Tim is the one inside the house working or often at work. But, after lots of work on our front porch, I finally got him to take a few breaks from work this summer and come sit outside and enjoy our neighborhood. I think he was pleasantly surprised that the little kids running around our street have that carefree feeling we used to have. He got pulled into more than one little kickball game, got to explore some adventures with blowing bubbles until dusk and was re-introduced to sidewalk chalk (I thought he might have a stroke!).
For us, owning a home isn’t about just the structure where all of our stuff is kept. It is about the people surrounding us that help make up our daily lives. I remember those people from my childhood that would be there on a Friday evening—just hanging out—or the impromptu dinners that happened on Saturday evenings—just because everyone was home. My greatest hope when Tim and I were looking to buy a house was that it would become not only a home, but it would become a place where we truly lived. And, not where we just stayed, but a place where we lived. Our front porch has helped make that a reality for us. We sure do get a lot of living done on our front porch! And yes, Tim has embraced the sidewalk chalk quite well.
We are often told how lucky we are to have found our home and our neighbors, and we do realize that. We live on one of those small streets where everyone knows each other, and (gasps) everyone likes everyone. And I’m not just saying that! Babies are being born and growing up chasing each other and playing every evening outside till dark. My goodness, if the rest of the world could spend just one day on a street like ours, I swear no one would ever believe there are any problems in this world. Hard days at work are rewarded with me pulling in my driveway and three or four kids running over to tackle me at the knees to give me the sweetest hugs on earth. Then, they run back and start playing again. Yes, there is nothing wrong in their little worlds, and it’s pretty simple. They sure do enjoy their barefoot-running, lightning bug-chasing summer days!
So, on your next real estate transaction, my greatest hope and prayer for you is that you are investing in yourself, a place of happiness and a place where you can live, and not just stay; and a place where you can thrive. Build special memories, and be sure to build something worth living for.
Oh, and here are a few photos from our new front porch.
