Band-Aids, Kisses and Daddy!

Greetings From The Front Porch!

I got up to turn off the lights, she got up to get me and we met somewhere in the middle. As we made eye contact, I could see that she had been crying, her eyes were swollen and her cheeks were red, something had been bothering my fifteen-year-old daughter.

As she got up and was on her way to my room to wake me up at the very same moment, I had stepped outside my bedroom door to turn off the hall light.

There had been an internal struggle she had been walking through as she almost talked herself into just staying in bed. However, she remembered all the times I had told her over the years that she could wake me up if she ever needed to talk and this particular night she needed me to just sit on “the front porch” with her.


We plopped down on the stairs, leaned against the banister and she had a good cry. Being in the moment when raising teen’s means that I must be prepared to sit on “the front porch” even in the middle of the night. OK, it was not the middle of the night, it was only 9PM but it felt like it was midnight. My mind was mush and my body was tired but my daughter needed me and trusted me in that moment. I chose to honor her pain while being present living out my own philosophy and putting actions to my words.


As I sat on the top of the staircase with my fifteen-year-old daughter, I held her with my arms wrapped around body, thinking about how many times we had sat on those stairs giggling, laughing and letting go slowly of her childhood. Here she was faced with real life issues and yet still so very young.


I had to remember my own motto of the front porch philosophy, living in the moment, trusting God with my future. Everything in me at that moment wanted to fix, rescue and mend her pain so that I could go back to my pillow and warm blanket.

However, everything in her needed me to listen well, ask good and pause on purpose, as she poured out her heartache. It was so much easier when she was a little girl, a band aide here, a kiss there or a call to daddy would make things all better.


I stayed in the moment and I trusted that God would give rest to the weary, as she shared, I asked and tears where shed. I prayed in the moment to stay in the moment and once again found that “the front porch” was an amazing place to be, right in the middle of His will while raising my children.

When all was said and done, we said our goodnights, she thanked me for listening well then we both headed back to our beds, it was good!

Happy Tuesday my friends, take time to fold into your moment, trusting God with your future.

Cris