Something About a Fire

There's just something about a fire.  It's a comment frequently heard around campfires and from folks gathered in front of a hearth on a cold day.

I was thinking about this yesterday as I moved firewood up to the patio. And it occurred to me that while the opportunity to take the chill off is certainly an attraction, there's more than heat that calls to those huddled close.

The smell of burning pine and oak transfers us to familiar places in seemingly distant times when we last sat at our grandparents' feet or fell asleep in our spouse's embrace. The pulsing coals of a super-heated fire issue a primordial call, replicating our own pulse, grabbing our attention and wrapping us in an emotional cocoon. And dancing flames reaching for new wood make us think of our own joys and aspirations.

Yes, there's something about a fire. Something that allows us to focus on ourselves, hear only our own thoughts, and -for a little while at least - let the rest of the world go on as it may.