I loved growing up in the country. I love living in a fairly central version of the country now. Most of all, I love fires. And yes, I meant to say that out loud. I really do like fires. Around here when the weather is cold my bestie and I head out and burn stuff, then crack a couple of beverages and talk about life while our ‘On Fire’ playlist plays. I’ve talked about that playlist before but for those of you who are new, this playlist includes only songs that have the word FIRE in them. It’s a fire playlist.
For when life needs serious discussions.
You can talk about anything around a fire. Disagree until your heart’s content and then continue on with the next topic. Things get real when the light of the screen is replaced by the roaring flicker of your very own fire. Despite the surrounding darkness you will always be seen for who you really are when you sit around the fire.
I challenge you to find a country kid who doesn’t have a gut tingling, heart shivering tale of young love that involves a fire. Fireside, anything is possible. The rose in your cheeks, the softly lit glow, the quiet moments to connect and be honest and open. Hearts are won around a fire, memories are made and the possibilities of a future are created.
Lay back on your back sometime, with a rock for your pillow, legs flat-out in front of you and stare at the sky. Watch those tiny pieces of ash flutter and mingle with the stars before landing gently on your face like warn snow. Stare at that sky surrounded by warmth and you tell me that life isn’t good and simple. What goes up must come down.
Feel the warmth of the fire envelope you like a warm hug from your favourite person. Dream a little. Imagine what is next for you and what there could be to see other there in that vast world beyond the stars. Consider those who are also looking at those same stars and our remarkably common human experience. We want to be warmed, to feel safe, to be loved.
Forget everything else, anything is possible fireside.
Hi! I’m Melissa Walker Horn. Around here, they call me Suger. I’m the Chief Blogger and doer of all the things here at Suger Coat It. Blogging since 1901; I love a casual ootd, taking photos, and writing about things that irk or inspire me. I love wine and cheese, long days at the beach and spending time with my family. I make stuff for the internet over at Chalkboard Digital. You know, living the sweet life.
I went camping A LOT as a kid and fires were a huge part of it. This post is so well written, I could almost remember exactly the shapes of the fires I had, staring into the flames, or toasting marshmellows, or cooking sausages. I’ve been having fires in our living room fire place recently (i’m arguing it’s cold enough and turning the heater off) it’s mainly to burn documents (paranoid about identify theft) but that is really just an excuse to sit close to the warmth and arrange, and rearrange the logs again and again. Ha! x
Thank you Jacqueline. Fires and camping and my childhood are pretty intertwined too. I love that. It’s simplicity and sugar and family time. Love it. And burning stuff that is private isn’t such a bad idea. Safety first!
I live in country Victoria and every weekend pretty much everyone in the area burns stuff or cuts stuff up with a chainsaw. We have a wood heater and I take great pride in lighting it, just don’t get me to chop wood! I have to fight my son, the dog and now my daughter for front position. When the kids are in bed I open the door and roast marshmellows. Sometimes it’s nice to just sit in front of it, staring at the flames, it’s like meditation to me, the crackling of the fire is very soothing.
Ahhh yes, this is what life is ALL about. Wonderfulness. The crackling fire soothes me too. So completely. Thanks for sharing!
! I love fires too. My dad was a forestry worker when I was a kid and our autumn weekends were spent with him in the forest, watching him and our uncles/cousins fell radiata pine and chainsaw them up. We would go pinecone hunting and help them load the cut wood onto the trailer. Fires at home were our reward for being such awesome helpers. I love the smell of burning pine. It reminds me of my dad, and of a time when I was small enough to curl up on his lap in front of the fire we had built together. As I got older, fires changed. My now-hubby took me to Waikaremoana (his family holiday spot) where he showed me how to build up rocks around a manuka wood fire to capture and direct the heat best. We would sit in camping chairs in front of the fire, having just eaten dinner cooked on the very same fire, watching the stars, talking about anything and everything. The manuka smoke would permeate EVERYTHING!
Ah, fire <3
Ahhh fire. Love this. Love love it. I feel your memories mingling with mine and think there might be a smoke spiral type thing happening here. Thanks for sharing.