Journey with me through a year of finding the joy in our lives, traveling the pathway to H.O.P.E. – Harmony, Order, Prosperity and Excellence! Let’s commit to charting our course over the days of the week, navigating our way from chaos to clarity – one step, one decision, one action at a time!
“I return to my front porch to find the place where the air smells sweeter and the sun feels warmer than at any other bend in life’s long road.” Quote by John Sarris.
The front porch has become a thing of the past for many of our homes. There was a time when we would sit on the front porch in the evening watching our kids play Tag, Hide-Go-Seek and other games with the neighbourhood kids. We’d chat with our neighbours who were sitting on their front porches. Those times seem long gone. Now we have the back deck and our yards barricaded with 8-foot fencing to create “privacy.” Our backyards have everything we need; a swing set and a wading pool for the kiddies, comfortable seating for the adults, a firepit and a BBQ. This is where we sit now – away from our neighbours.
Along with our fully equipped back yards, our modern homes boast another convenience – the attached garage. So many of us enter our homes through the interior garage door that we wouldn’t recognize our own front porch if you showed us a photo of it. Have you ever gone to a home to hand deliver something and found a porch full of old flyers, huge cobwebs or some random door hangers piled up and wondered if anyone was living there? The “Forgotten Front Porch” happens to many of us; not because we don’t care, but because out-of-sight is often out-of-mind.
Real Estate Agents teach us that “Curb Appeal” has a lot of value when trying to sell our home. The old saying “you only get one chance to make a first impression” is very true. Isn’t it ironic that it takes listing our home for sale to motivate us to spruce up our front entrance so that it appeals to strangers? Perhaps it’s time we took a fresh look at our front porch so that it appeals to us! Maybe the porch light needs replacing, the front door needs to be cleaned or there are cobwebs to be swept. How about a new cushion for the chair, a windchime, a welcome sign or a ceramic pot of colourful flowers?
Let’s ask ourselves the question, “Is this a place where I would like to sit & relax?” And if we did make it inviting and we did sit on the front porch, what might happen? Why, maybe neighbours walking past might feel inclined to stop and say hello. Maybe they’ll come & sit for a moment and have a chat. Before you know it, our kids might strike up a game of Tag while the parents get to know each other. The possibilities are endless – on our own front porch!
GRATITUDE SUNDAY – John Sarris wrote “Make your front porch a part of your home, and it will make you a part of the world.” Humans are social beings; some of us require a little more socializing than others, but we all need to be connected in some way to some extent. Sometimes the hectic pace of our lives can keep us so busy that finding time to sit on the front porch seems like a huge indulgence rather than the simple thing it really is. I hope you feel inspired to sit a spell on your front porch soon, whether it be in the morning, afternoon or evening. Whether it’s once a day or once a week. Whether you’re sipping your favourite brew, reading, knitting, sketching, carving wood or just sitting quietly listening to the birds – I hope you feel renewed, refreshed, reconnected – with yourself, with nature, with your community and especially, with your own front porch.
TUESDAY, next week – Meet me here next Tuesday to continue our journey.
H.O.P.E. is on the horizon my fellow Pathways Traveller – one step, one decision, one action at a time!
Coming Soon! Watch for my weekly radio show on The Rogue, CFTR, to hear my guest panel share their own home management challenges, tips and tricks.
