Aug
22
2023
A Porch Visit
Posted in Daily Living 12 Comments
My friend had knee surgery.
She is halfway through six weeks on crutches.
She is halfway through instructions not to bear any weight on that leg.
She is an active person and I wondered how she was going to handle this time of stillness.
Ironically, her husband had arthroscopic knee surgery a week before her surgery.
He left the surgery center walking on his own.
When I visited her the day before her surgery, he was out walking around the yard.
She is a walker like me and looks forward to getting back to her walking routine.
She knew that I have been struggling with knee pain as well.
My walking has been cut back.
I have been in physical therapy and finally had an MRI done.
My problem is being handled conservatively, as I wear an offloading brace for six weeks.
We teased each other about our knees, different problems, but knee pain nonetheless.
She came through her surgery beautifully.
I gave her the first week just to get acclimated to her situation, as her husband cared for her.
I gave her another week when a dear out of town friend came to help.
As she approached her halfway point, I texted her one morning to tell her I was coming over.
I stopped to get her a large, steaming cup of her favorite coffee.
I pulled in the driveway and walked over to her side porch.
Within minutes, she came through the door, on her crutches with her knee in a brace.
We sat on her porch, an oasis of beauty and stillness.
She lives in the center of town, where our children went to school.
It’s the kind of neighborhood I remember as a girl.
Everyone is out walking; they stop by as they pass.
That morning, on her porch, three people randomly stopped by.
Someone else pulled over as they drove by her house.
They checked in on her to see how she was feeling.
Three hours went by on her porch that only felt like minutes.
When it was just the two of us and her little dog, she took a picture of me in the rocking chair.
I’m taking a picture of everyone who comes to see me, she explained.
I’m going to put the pictures in a book, she continued.
It’s been so lovely, she said as she looked longingly at her garden, which she loves to tend.
We simply talk; wonderful conversations with no phones and no distractions.
It’s the way it used to be.
As much as I want to get up and move, this time has been a gift.
I am truly enjoying the stillness.
I searched her face and saw that she meant every word.
There on her porch, we stepped back in time.
We retreated to a time when face to face conversations were treasured and practiced.
We enjoyed simple conversations without the interference of technology.
I saw the truth of her statement in the people that just stopped by.
I believed it when people walking on the sidewalk stopped to say hello.
I understood it when three hours passed and it seemed like a blink of an eye.
She said even her flowers are loving the conversations that are happening all around them.
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. (Matthew 18:20)
My friend sent a picture she took of me in my brace and she in her brace. to other friends.
She sent it to two other mutual friends and captioned it: meeting of the degenerative knee club.
Each of us will come out the other side of this time, as God allows.
We are each learning lessons of humility and gratefulness.
My friend sent a picture of her porch, that included the rocking chair on which I sat.
I looked at the serenity of that picture and remembered our time together.
It made me think about how God is in the midst of our gatherings.
Where two or three of us meet, there He is.
Neighbors, passersby, and friends all stopped by.
No distractions; just community caring for its own.
How beautiful.
He was there as well, as the not-so-empty rocking chair attests.
Dear Gina,
You make longing palpable and affirming. You connect it to our Lord being with us, reminding me He is the One who sets it in our hearts. Yes, time on her porch revitalizes us visitors. So sweet, so fragrant.
Amen, dear one. Amen.
Gina
Sherie has been my neighbor sister for over 30 years. She is a great example of neighborly love and caring. Sherie you deserve every act of kindness coming your way and more. Healing and blessings.
Laurie,
You and I are both blessed by porch sitting and friendship.
Gina
Gina, what a beautiful written story of the Porch!
As you know, Sheri is one of the most beloved ladies in the Downingtown Community. She selfishly gives to others on a daily basis and deserves all the recognition . Living in our beautiful town is a blessing and so is the Porch!
Stacy,
Yes, town life is something to treasure as is a sweet friend. Perhaps one of these days, we who visited her there, can all reunite on the porch.
Gina
What a beautiful testament to our mutual friend and the grace that she has in handling this time of recuperation! I also lose track of time when visiting on her beautiful porch. I wish you both speedy and successful recoveries!
Thank you, Kelly. We will each carry away many memories from our time on her side porch. I hope we are intentional about bringing the stillness we enjoyed there into our daily lives.
Gina
I am astounded at how He has given you the gift of experiencing such ordinary moments and writing about them so beautifully❤️
Thank you, friend. Memories are being made during those porch visits. We, who have joined you there, have experienced the beauty of simplicity and stillness.
Gina
This beautiful piece is written about my best friend, Sherie. I too shared many hours on her lovely porch on with her when I visited twice after her surgery. The porch has been such a blessing for her recovery!! Daytime or nighttime, having people stopping by to say hello and check on her was heartwarming for her old friends to see. Thank you for highlighting the many blessings in her life!
Susan,
We have each been the recipients of blessings during our porch visit. We came to bless our friend, but we were the ones who were blessed.
Gina