Rocking Chair, Fireflies, and Love

When I see a rocking chair sitting on a front porch, I am instantly taken back to my childhood. One of my favorite times of the day during the summer months was when supper was over and the kitchen was clean. It was then our family would sit on the front porch until dad called bedtime. Dad in the rocking chair and mom in the swing.
I remember the night sounds, the ole' hoot owl in the hollow, the screech owl with his shrill call sending a chill up my spine. If you have ever heard one you will understand what I am saying. For someone hearing one call out for the first time it could be a "near fatal" heart attack about to happen.
 
The real beauty of the night was the millions of fireflies shinning their little flashlights, lighting the pathway for the crickets and all the other little crawly critters that make up the choir for the night sounds. What a beautiful choir it was!
An occasional car would pass by and honk their horn to say, "Howdy, neighbor, how are you doing tonight." All around the neighborhood the sound of children's laughter could be heard as their voices rang out in, "Ready or not, here I come." After they had counted from one to ten to give the others time to find a special hiding place in their game of  Hide-and-Seek? Do they still play that game? You bet they do when they are given the opportunity. Just recently, I sat on my porch and listened to the children down the street counting off the numbers and then sending out a warning..." Ready or not, here I come." 



Rocking chairs are as much a part of Americana as the hotdog, baseball, and mom's apple pie. Just looking at a rocking chair and an American flag together speaks, "America."

In my childhood no home was without one. Babies were rocked to sleep every night. The father of the household would sit in the rocking chair every evening to hear the radio programs during the winter months when the cold kept him from the front porch. Children of the family would fight over who was going to sit in the rocking chair. Usually, the oldest one won and ended up with the youngest in their lap until an adult came to take claim over it for a while.

So, for me, the rocking chair will always be a symbol of childhood, family, home, and love. That is why in my home I have one in every room except the kitchen. And I would certainly have one in the kitchen if I just had room to place it. 

So, if you do not own a rocking chair, I suggest you buy one, and if you have a front porch buy two.  The Way I See It, you will never be sorry you did.