Stay Awhile - When a Porch Swing is More then Just a Porch Swing
Some pieces begin with a place. Others begin with a memory. This one began with both.
The first spark came from the opening sequence of Sweet Magnolias. Every time that familiar theme song starts and the camera lingers on a quiet Southern porch with its gently swaying swing, I'm reminded why I love the Lowcountry. There is something about South Carolina that seems to invite you to slow down, stay awhile, and make room for conversation.
As I began sketching, though, this piece quickly became much more personal.
Growing up, my grandparents—and even my great-grandparents—always had a porch swing.
To most people it was just a place to sit. To me, it was where life happened. It was where my grandpa told stories that transported me into another world. He grew up in a time so different from mine that sometimes it felt like listening to history come alive. His older brothers served during World War II. His father was a country doctor who traveled the backroads helping anyone who needed him. Grandpa's stories were full of adventure, humor, and a little bit of mischief.
He taught me practical things, too. How to pay attention to the world around me. How to recognize landmarks if I ever lost my way—long before anyone carried GPS in their pocket. How different plants grow. How to notice things most people walk right past.
Those afternoons on the porch weren't just storytelling sessions. They were lessons in curiosity, resilience, and paying attention.
It was where I cried through my first heartbreak. At the time it felt like the end of the world. Looking back now? He lost the best girl—and that was entirely his own doing. Thankfully, several years later, my wonderful husband stole my heart instead.
It was the place where I sat and bottle-fed an orphaned baby goat. Where I spent long afternoons lost in books. Where I watched the seasons change. Where conversations stretched for hours because no one was in a hurry to be anywhere else.
Funny how one simple swing can become woven into so many memories. Maybe that's why I was so drawn to create this piece. It isn't really about a porch swing. It's about slowing down. It's about spending time with family. It's about stories worth passing on. It's about making space for the people we love.
In a world that moves faster every year, I hope this artwork serves as a gentle reminder that some of life's richest moments don't happen while we're rushing somewhere else. They happen when we simply sit down...and stay awhile.
My grandparents swing is empty now. Grandpa has been in Heaven for several years, and Grandma doesn't remember any of us anymore, (although she is cared for and kept comfortable). But the stories I will hold close, and share with my own children passing Grandpa's legacy.