The Call of the Wild

What is it about fire that carries us awayand allows us to drift in total contentment
on a river of warmth, visuals and thought?

The past twenty years we have been on the road for Christmas and New Years visiting family, but this year we got a chance to stay home for the holidays. No promises to keep for a change and we are making the best of it.

On New Years Eve it rained intermittently all day but it let up in the evening. We watched old movies until about 10pm and then went out on the back patio and built a fire. We pulled up a bench and sat with our arms around each other, both drawn into the radiating vortex, our thoughts unspoken for the longest time.

Then we wondered aloud if perhaps we were one of the keepers of the flame that our ancestors discovered so long ago. We could have as easily been sitting in front a primitive hut on the prairie or a log structure high in the mountains, maybe on an ocean beach or near a riverside cooking what we had gathered during the explorations of the day. The moon and stars still fascinating mysteries, and the sound of rivers and oceans a lullaby.

Are these remembered experiences or simply the creations of fertile minds? Who's to say and what does it matter? Those who came before us and those who follow will find the same fascination and ask the same questions. The important point is to enjoy the moment and celebrate your good fortune. Remember to Pay It Forward this year!

Please check out the accompanying spotlight created at byhand.me entitled Call of the Wild featuring the artisans of Etsy.