I love sitting around a fire, I love the whole process – the ritual of setting a fire before lighting it, small twigs then larger sticks and then logs. The pop and crackle as the flames take hold and expand, and the warmth that grows with the flames.
I recently had an operation. I now have an extended period of recovery before I am able to return to work. I had planned to spend many hours during my recovery sitting next to a fire enjoying something I don’t often find time to do in the busyness of everyday working life. In preparation I had chopped and stacked a large pile of wood, as I knew I would not be able to do anything too physical for a while after the operation.
This morning I got up before everyone else, as is the norm in my household, and decided to light a fire in the back yard. I have always loved lighting the morning fire on camping trips when it’s really cool and crisp outside, boiling some water for a cup of tea and warming my body by the flames.
But this morning’s fire lacked the magic, something was missing… loved ones! I persevered and had the cup of tea but soon enough put out the flames.
What I love about lighting a fire is sitting around it with other people, and the shared intimacy it engenders whether you talk or remain silent; the space a fire allows in conversations when just watching the flames is enough, and the absence of electronic media. Simply being with others without distraction is so precious. I realised lighting the morning fire alone on a camping trip is different to this morning’s fire for I always know that soon the sound and smell will lure others from their beds to share the early morning with me, just being together in nature.
It is not that I can’t enjoy a fire alone or that I need other people to feel complete, as I enjoy my own company, but I love connecting with other people. I have often heard others say that the allure of a fire is an ancient primal thing that we all naturally resonate to, the need for warmth and light. This may be true, but I feel for myself that the ancient allure is actually the beauty of brotherhood, the togetherness of sitting around a fire. Taking the time to cherish our connection with each other, this is what I love about lighting a fire.
The teachings of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine have allowed me to develop a more loving connection to myself, and from this my love for other people is blossoming.
By Tim Robinson, Frankston, Australia
Related Reading:
~ Crying out for Connection: Technology and Us
~ Separateness or Connection
~ Burnout in the Workplace: A Call for Connection