One of these days we are going to have to put a railing back up on our front porch. Code, safety or some such nonsense as that will hem us in and and steal our away the feeling of freedom I get sitting out on my porch. I am impulsive, Ryan is active and together we might have some measure of ADHD, so there are many a half finished project around our house. One such project, that I would argue is so by choice, is our front porch. One day, about a year ago we got sick of the rotting wood that made up the banister and railing up our steps and across the entrance to our home. Ryan ripped it all down one day, and has since beautifully finished the columns with cedar. We had plans and ideas to finish with new railing, but to this date, it sits as it has for months. Open and free.
I love to sit outside. To watch my dog laze in the sun without a care in the world. I love to feel the heat on my skin. During spring it’s just a whisper here and there as the clouds part and breeze slows and for a moment I feel the promise of summer.
Then a few months later it’s the full heat of summer and late in the day as the oppressive rays start to sink lower in the sky and the days seem to go on forever. There’s no rushing, no agenda, just time to sit and enjoy. Watch my kids convene on the swing set for an evening chat session. It ends it tears as often as it ends in laughter, regardless the moments are precious.
In winter its less frequent, but those blissful North Carolina days where there is a sudden reprieve from the cold and gray and the stale air from being indoors all of the time. A reminder of the summer days that seem so long ago. A reminder of what has been and what is coming.
Fall, my favorite season of all. Those cool mornings when you get to slip into sweats and cozy socks and sit outside and feel the nip in the air. Watch the leaves on the maples slip from green to crimson and then to rust and fall to the ground. When every year we exclaim with delight at the size of the sycamore leaves and compare them to the size of our head. Where yardwork becomes just an excuse to be outside and doing, moving and breathing.
Regardless of the season, my moments outside are so precious. For some reason its one of the only times I feel ok with just sitting, and watching and breathing. I don't feel like I have to be doing and moving. Not on my phone, not reading a book, not cleaning or organizing. I can listen to the birds, think my thoughts, watch nature live its life around me. And my soul says "amen".
