Front Porch Swing

I hope that everyone reading this has his/her own version of my front porch swing.  I do realize that not everyone has a front porch, let alone a swing, but that's not the point of this post.  My front porch swing is the place that I go to when it's time to relax, time to put the chores of the day behind me, time to take a deep breath and tell myself that I made it through another day.

See how it beckons?  It's a two-seater.  These days, the best I can hope for is my cat to share the swing with me.  On a typical spring/summer evening, she is in the treehouse, but I just have to call, "Cassie!  Come swing with me!" and she will suddenly appear, leap up onto the open seat, and settle herself into a comfortable swinging position.  I have to do the legwork, but she gets to enjoy the ride.

The table next to the swing is just an outdoor stool, but I've placed a marble top on it to turn it into a table.  The marble top belonged to a table my grandmother had, which my sister now owns.  As the marble was scratched and chipped, my sister replaced it and offered the old one to me.  At the time, I had no idea what I would do with it, which is often the case when one accepts hand-me-downs, but the marble found a home next to my swing.  It can hold my book, my phone, my snack and my glass of wine.  And I never place anything on it without thinking of my beloved Nanny.


This late afternoon, I took my place on the swing and read for awhile.  There were birds making their bird noises and squirrels and chipmunks scurrying around in the leafy woods next door.  The sun was beginning its descent into the western sky while Cassie and I watched four deer stroll through the cornfield across the street. All was right in our world.  How could I not be in love with this?

So find your space, let your worries drift away, and breathe.  And be in love with that.