The morning after.
Our chairs sit empty, surrounding the firepit.
Embers still smoldering, every once in awhile a thin trail of smoke rising up from it.
The birds are chirping, family slowly waking up, coming out of their campers with hot cups of coffee and sleepy eyes.
We sit and chat about the night before and the day ahead, enjoying the sunshine and lazily starting our morning.
I look over at the circle of chairs and smile, thinking about the many campfires we've enjoyed over the years.
And the lessons I've learned from them.
Sometimes the smoke is going to follow you, no matter how many times you move around the circle.
Your shoes might melt if you put them on the edge of the firepit for too long.
The five second rule doesn't apply to marshmallows that fall in the dirt.
If you get up and leave your chair open, someone's going to take it.
Smores can be awfully messy. Sort of like life.
Parenting, religion and politics are off limits for campfire discussions. Unless, of course, the Big Dipper is out in full force.
The presence of the people that are no longer here is felt the strongest when the fire is blazing and the stars are out.
There's nothing better than the smell of the campfire and the sound of the voices of the people we love.
The campfire is where we relax, reminisce and wax philosophical about life.
Where we share stories that we never want to forget.
And where we create amazing memories that are passed down from generation to generation.
We've had our share of drama around the campfire, and a few of us have gotten burned (literally) in the process of making them.
But we keep coming back.
Because the lessons we learn around them are invaluable.
Lessons about life and love and the importance of family.
Even when things are hard.
Maybe especially when things are hard.
And when the long weekend ends and we all head back to the "real" world, the smell of the campfire will linger for a few days before it disappears.
But the lessons?
Those will last a lifetime.
Visit my author page on Amazon
Or find my book at Barnes and Noble
And at our local Oconomowoc Bookstore - Books & Company
Comments