Fire.
It's spreading.
Maybe this is why our regular bonfires have been so special to me. Handsome and I really enjoy opening the farm for friends and loved ones, to light fallen trees in the fire pit and gather around and talk and laugh and have a good time.
We soak up the heat on the coldest days and evenings and sometimes when it's warm out, too.
We loiter there at the rocky edge until the skin on our faces seems to shrink and our jeans are so hot we can barely sit down. We trade burdens and worries for ponytails filled with ashes and jackets that smell like wood smoke for the rest of the week. We stare into the red and yellow glow, side by side, rubbing our hands and snuggling and just enjoying every moment.
We wait for the flames to jet ferociously out of the ends of hollow trunks, then we watch the tree bark turn scaly and black. We search for shapes in the changing fire the way children gaze at clouds on summery afternoons.
Between jokes and ghost stories we sometimes fall into that flame-licked trance that slows and strengthens your heart all at once. I love that hot, tympani beat. We move our chairs around the edge of the fire pit every few minutes, to avoid the smoke, and sometimes have to run away laughing because it's so thick. But the cold always scoffs at our isolation, and we happily scuttle back for more fiery abuse.
I believe you can celebrate answers even before they arrive, and that such a joyful anticipation feeds that fire. It quickens the answer, too, and makes it even more beautiful.
Do you have a wildfire in your heart, threatening to overtake all of your fears and your pain? Let it. Surrender to it. Feed that fire and protect it.
If you can, please join us for one of our Lazy W bonfires soon. If you can't, then light a fire where you are and think fondly of us. I wish you and yours all the warmth and comfort, all the laughter, and all the hope you need. It is right there available to you.
"One can enjoy a wood fire worthily
only when he warms his thoughts by it
as well as his hands and feet."
~Odell Shephard
xoxoxoxo
We've spent many evenings gathered around our little outdoor fireplace - sometimes just the two of us with a glass of wine and sometimes a crowd with marshmallows and stars above - nothing like a fire to bring people together.
ReplyDeleteWishing I could join you at one of your fires, my friend. The next time you light one, let me know and I'll light one here - we'll see each other in the flames. (Boy, that sounds cheesy, but you get it).
Heather... YES I have thought before and will think again thought of what kinds of fiery things go on north of so many borders. Thank you. xoxo (i like cheesy)
DeleteHi, Marie! You write the best posts! So very thought provoking. I also loved reading the rest of your unsolicited birthday advice. :) Wonderful! Have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteHi there sweet Sonya! Thank you, thank you!! I always love it when you visit me here. I'd love to have you out for a bonfire sometime too! xoxo
DeleteThere is no greater peace in this world than to be warmed on the outside by a fire while your heart is being warmed on the inside with love and hope!
ReplyDeleteFireside, friendside, hopeside. One is a real word the other two should be. Spring is coming and the joygreen will return.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Rose Marie B
Yes! Those words... friendside and hopeside... should definitely be used more, Thanks Rose! xoxo
Delete