I live with my ex-husband, and without my permission, he changed our porch light to green. When I asked him why, he said it was because of his father. He didn’t elaborate. Why? Does anyone know the meaning of a green porch light?
At first, I thought it was some strange joke or maybe a decoration for a holiday I forgot about. But every night, that green glow lit up the front yard like a quiet signal. It started bothering me more than I wanted to admit.
A few days later, I noticed my ex standing outside alone, staring at the light. He looked sad in a way I hadn’t seen in years. Finally, I asked him again what it meant.
This time, he told me the truth.
His father had served in the military during Vietnam. Before he passed away, he told my ex that green porch lights were sometimes used to honor veterans and show support for them. His father had always wanted one outside his own home, but he never got around to doing it.
My ex had changed the bulb on the anniversary of his father’s death.
I didn’t know what to say after that. We may not be married anymore, and we may argue about almost everything, but that night I understood something important:
Sometimes people carry grief quietly, and love shows itself in the smallest lights.
