Power of the Porch

Hello lovely folks!

Summer is here! A time to play outside, enjoy warmth, BBQ with friends and just slow down.  

This morning, I found myself listening to Johnny Cash with visions of front porches and swings in my mind. You see, in the South, where I am from, the front porch is a place to rest, gather and just slow down. Lounging in the porch swing (a must!), greeting neighbors as they walk by, inviting them to sit a spell for tea are all part of porch life! So many beautiful conversations are had just rocking back and forth watching the sunset and smelling the flowers. Couldn’t we all benefit from some slowing down time?

Sometimes talk was of the neighbors, changes in the garden, the stars. Often, talk moved deeper to God, and suffering and death. I once visited a dear friend in New Orleans after the death of her husband. Every afternoon, we’d sit on the porch and receive visitors and food. Folks would sit and chat and cry. The community was constantly around her and supporting her on that front porch.   

Work happened on those porches too: shucking corn, snapping beans, making homemade ice cream. Kittens and puppies were born there. Love happened there. Stories were the constant on those porches. There are small porches here in San Francisco. But, no one really hangs out there.  No one stops by without scheduling it in advance. They hang out in backyards but it’s different when you are tucked in behind the house. I love San Francisco but I often feel lonely here. Community forms in more complicated ways.

Do you ever yearn for a simpler life? A life where we gather to chat, without cell phones, outdoors and long into the night. I often imagine how the world would look if slowing down was emphasized.  

I try to create aspects of the porch culture in my life. I take the time to have tea with clients and have longer session times. I try to have friends in for dinners so my boys have community. I sit out back in the garden sharing stories with loved ones.  

There is a power in slowing down and gathering together. Connection with ourselves and each other is powerful. We can do less and still be fine, maybe better. There is something so liberating about this to me. Instead of the pressure to become and do more, what if we just slow down and enjoy life?

Connecting and being in community really is not optional. In my practice I hear stories daily about the suffering of isolation. When we feel ourselves held and understood in community, our suffering is eased.

What is it that you are longing for in your life this summer? Do you feel that pull to slow things down a bit? I hope you’ll make room to connect with the beauty this season offers.