Fire

Most people enjoy fires.  They enjoy sitting by a cozy fire on a cold winter day.  My favorite part of my day is sitting by the warn fire with my coffee in the morning.

Building a fire isn't difficult.  We crumple the newspaper, stack the kindling just so and take a match to ignite the paper.  As soon as the kindling is burning nicely we add larger pieces of wood.  From that point on, we simply add logs throughout the day and the fire will continue to burn.  Whether it's 5 degrees or 45 degrees, the fire works the same and warms us.

Imagine if the process didn't work that way.  What if we had to continually light the match every few minutes?  What if we had to monitor it and build it up with tiny pieces of wood all day instead of placing a large log on it and walking away?  We wouldn't enjoy the fire as much.  It would be too much work.  The pleasantness of the warm fire wouldn't be worth the work.  We enjoy the fire the most when we get to sit back and soak up it's heat and bask in the glow.  If we spend all of our time working on the fire we don't enjoy it.

The fire is like our relationships.  Today is Valentine's Day and it is a reminder that many people enjoy the fire that comes with new relationships.  They enjoy the butterflies in their stomachs and the unknown and mystery of discovering new things about someone else.  Some people enjoy this so much that once the newness and excitement of a relationship wears off, they go out and seek another one.  They are missing out on the best part of the fire.

It's the ability to sit back and enjoy the fire that makes it great.  The depth of a relationship where you can be you and enjoy one another is the best part.  Sitting back and having to relight the match over and over is exhausting.

I've been married for over 20 years.  This is my 21st Valentine's Day with my husband.  The first Valentine's Day he had a gift for me every time he saw me.  He gave me handmade cards, roses, a mix tape, piano sheet music, stuffed animals and  a song he wrote and recorded.  He's never matched that first Valentine's Day's gifts and creativity, but I've never been disappointed.  Each day we have together, I get to sit back and enjoy the fire of our marriage that burns and doesn't go out, keeps us warm and creates a wonderful and safe place.