Growing up, there was one thing that never changed about my parents’ house — the p0.rch light.
No matter how late I stayed out, it was always on.
When I was a teenager, it annoyed me.
I’d come home past curfew and see that soft yellow glow spilling across the driveway like it was watching me, waiting.
I used to groan, “Mom, Dad, you don’t have to wait up. I’m fine.”
My dad would just smile and say,
“That light isn’t for us, son. It’s for you — so you always know your way home.”
Years went by.
I moved away for college, then for work. I got my own apartment, my own life, my own responsibilities.
But every time I came back to visit, the p0.rch light was still there — glowing softly, even when I pulled in late at night.
No matter how long it had been, that light made me feel like I never really left.
Then one winter, after a long stretch of busy months, I drove home for Christmas.
The roads were quiet, the sky heavy with snow.
When I turned down my parents’ street, my chest tightened.
For the first time, the house was dark.
No p0.rch light.
No soft yellow glow waiting to guide me in.
I parked and walked up the steps, heart pounding a little faster than it should’ve.
Before I could knock, the door opened.
My mom smiled, holding a flashlight in her hand.
“Power’s been out for hours,” she said, laughing. “But look, we found a way to keep the light on.”
In that moment, I realized — it was never about electricity.
It was about love.
About someone always waiting, no matter how far you’ve gone or how late you return.
Now, years later, I have kids of my own.
And every night, I turn on our porch light before I go to bed.
Not because I’m waiting for them to come home — not yet.
But because one day they will.
And when they do, I want them to see that same soft glow and know what I did —
that no matter how much time passes, there will always be a light waiting for them.
Moral:
The p0.rch light isn’t just a bulb above the door.
It’s love made visible — a silent promise that no matter how far life takes you, home will always shine for you. 💛