A Warmth Amongst the Cold

                The cold breeze bites my skin, and I know the winter months are here. I see the orange, yellow, and red leaves fall from trees and gently lay to the ground. I stand in the front yard and everything seems to be dreary and dull. The dead grass of my front yard seeps into the lifeless pastures and fields that surround my home. I gaze through the yard and into the distance, but color and life are nowhere to be found.

                I continue to analyze the winter scene of my country home. I begin to realize that the comforting warmth of the summer sun and the beautiful life of nature have passed. The cold is here to stay. My emotions are down and happiness seems to be far off. My front yard seem barren and empty, but then I see the lone fireplace.

                Sitting in the corner of the yard, my fireplace is a work of historic art. Its size and architecture command the atmosphere of the land around it. Built of stones found from the land it sits on, the fireplace stands at ten feet tall and twelve feet wide. The single six by five foot opening on the front of the fireplace still has ash and old wood inside from the fires of past winters. The stones’ varying shades of brown, orange, and shiny crystal bring life and energy to the atmosphere of the scene.

                I examine the fireplace, and my mind begins to run. The heavy, handmade stone benches that surround the fireplace suddenly have family and friends sitting on them, and a fire is roaring inside the pit. The cold winter seems to have no effect on them. Bursts of laughter and conversation radiate from the happy crowd, and a smile comes to my face.

                I hear the soft music from the porch playing in the background trying to catch the ears of the loud people. At times, a group of two or three friends will leave the warm fire and return to the house for drinks. In short time, though, they eagerly return.

                I decide to go and take a seat on the bench. There is no real fire or music but I can still sense them both. The music lightly taps my eardrums, and the fire warms my shivering body. The imagined people crowd around me, huddled for warmth from the fire, and I feel their loving embrace. I pull myself into reality and take a final look around. The land and house still all looks the exact same as before, but something feels different. The summer is gone, and winter is here, but so is my fireplace.