There is something about a fire on a dark night, a fire shared with others, that pulls the gloom right out of you. We sat around the cheery little blaze with the branches popping as they burned with the flames dancing, and although we hadn't eaten that day, I could feel our spirits rise along with the smoke that drifted toward the stars.
― William Kent Krueger
(This prompt is from my Page A Day Journal).
There's another saying that if you light a campfire, everyone's a storyteller and I FEEL that. It is definitely our family's favourite way to end a Summer day. I cannot guess how many games of Would You Rather that I have played around the dancing flames. The funny and scary tales created on the spot, or ones I have to read to my children over the years from my own youth. The conversations that have ranged from the completely silly or bizarre, to those of love and life, trials and truths. Is it the circle that loosens the tongue? The darkness? The flames pulling what's been locked inside? I think it's an ancient ritual carried deep in our bones. This drawing together to share and remember - and preserve.
Sure I love my bed after a long day. A hot bath and a good book. Still, there's just something extra cozy about being around a bonfire at the end of a long, hot day. Bath is a dip in a cool lake under the stars, then your favourite hoody to snuggle near the warmth. I don't need 5 Star luxury; just give me the Starlight Hotel with the breeze in the treetops and the warmth of the fire. The scent of cedar and pine mingling with the smoke and the sweetness of the marshmallows.
I do fear the number of S'mores I have consumed over the years, but I can tell you there is no limit to ever being enough. I can't imagine a world that doesn't have bonfires and toasted marshmallows, and it turns out scientists agree. Did you know that enjoying a fire actually lowers your blood pressure? That is one of the reasons it is so calming. Having that calm focus helps reduce stress and anxiety. Historically our ancestors would have gathered and huddled around the fire for warmth, community/social, and for safety and I think our bodies remember what has always been good for the soul.
Where is your cozy place?