I love sitting by the fire and watching it burn. I think there is something basic, almost instinctive, in the relationship between man and fire. My father loved to sit by a open fire, as did his father and his father’s father.
Tonight I spent time building and sitting by a fire in my backyard. As a matter of fact, I had two going, one in a stone pit and one in a homemade tin fire pit. The stone pit is made up of stones from my second home, the great state of Alabama. For a while I collected rocks every time I went up and put them around my home as decorations. With hunting on hold for me I spend time in the backyard chopping wood, gardening, building a fire to ward off bugs and give me a little peace.
Now today’s fire was a little different. My wife was doing what wives do best, which is going crazy every once in a while. So, I found it safer to sit- no hide- in the backyard! I chopped some wood, built two fires, lit a Citronella candle (which doesn’t work by the way) and brought a water bottle full of Jim Beam with me. I was a very happy backyard camper until the bugs ran me out.
backyard set up, hiding from the Mrs.
As I stood by the fire I began to wonder if the relationship between man and fire has something to do with how the fire burns. When you first light it, the fire starts out small and weak. Add too much wood and the pressure causes it to go out. Too little wood and it starves, but if you treat it just right a fire will grow and burn brightly. The young fire burns with an energy that gives off light and heat, it seems like it will last forever. Soon though it slows, but it leaves you good coals, coals you can cook on, stay warm by, coals that last a long time, steady and strong. After a while the coals begin to cool, their light begins to fade, although they still give off lifesaving heat, but their time is nearly over. In the end, they quietly go cold, leaving only ashes.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that a fire mimics man, or is it that man mimics the fire. As children we thrive the best if we are given just the right amount of encouragement, not too much pressure, not too little attention. When we grow into young adults there is nothing we can’t do, nothing that can stop us. We burn bright with energy and hope. But as we get older, we learn the meaning of life, that providing a solid, steady place for others to feel warm and secure is our job, our destiny. In the end, we grow older and weaker. We have less and less to offer, but if you huddle closer, listen a little harder, we still have something to offer. Even as ash, long after we have grown cold, we offer the elements that the future can be built on. A fire gives ashes to the earth that add nutrients so the new growth can flourish. We give memories and lessons that our children and our children’s children can learn from and prosper by.
After a lot of chopping this is what left of the playhouse
Those were the thoughts I had as I watched the fire slowly grow dark and cold. I didn’t mourn the loss, as I know it is the same for all things including us. I hope that in the end I’ll provide the warmth and comfort to my family and someday my words will guide my children to a good life.
