Do you  like old houses?  If so, you’re definitely in the minority.  Most realtors will tell you that they’re a hard sell.  It’s amazing to see all the new subdivisions popping up all over town.  And houses in every price range are selling like hotcakes.   On the other hand, my husband and I live in a house that’s over 100 years old, and we’ve always loved everything about it.  The beamed ceilings, pillared doorways, wooden floors.  But now,  one special feature of old houses has proved to be a blessing.  The front porch is a godsend  now,  during this covid-19  pandemic.

For one thing, we’re not stuck inside the house all day—even if it’s raining.  Except for the winter months, we always sit on the front porch and have a cool drink in the late afternoon.  We live along a busy street, and simply watch the cars go by, or people of various ages and sizes jogging or strolling. It’s fun to see the different outfits people wear. Some are half-naked, sweat dripping off their shoulders.  Others are covered in black workout clothes.  And then, there are the babies in strollers, and families with little children.  Until Covid-19, we didn’t realize how much we enjoyed this evening parade.

But the best thing about our porch during this pandemic is the opportunity to visit safely with family and friends who stop by .  The porch is wide enough for social distancing if there’s only four of us.  Right now, we’ve been starved for company and social interaction.  But if a neighbor stops by to say hello, we feel safe inviting them to sit and chat for a few minutes while sitting in the fresh air.  They may or may not wear masks.  Sometimes we do, and sometimes we don’t, depending on how confident we are that they aren’t carrying the virus.  We don’t invite them inside.  But when they leave, we feel satisfied that we’ve seen and talked with someone we care about.  Before the pandemic, we never appreciated how important that is.  We took those random social interactions for granted.

Front porches are seeing a revival the past few years.  Builders are beginning to include them in design plans.    And if you’re lucky enough to have a front porch during this pandemic, put it near the top of your gratitude list.