Hoguera, 1880
Fuente: https://www.wikiart.org/
Executive summary of my first family camping experience:
- Hard bed.
- Freezing cold.
- Spectacular experience.
Moments that connect forever.
But there is a gentler version.
Evening falls, the light fades among the towering pines in a sublime glow, silence takes over the forest.
With precise blows, my son-in-law chops wood with an axe and stirs a lively fire. An activity that, in its simplicity, revives primitive memory.
Children’s laughter, a glass of wine, pleasant conversation, trivia games. (e.g., What Swahili word means “journey”? Answer at the end (*))
Of course, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to honor the traditions of our First Nations and perform a purification ceremony by burning sacred herbs, in this case sage, on a mother-of-pearl shell.
The ritual consists of lighting this sweet bundle of sage and, with a feather pointed at the four cardinal points, invoking protection, healing, well-being, and cleansing of all negativities.
So, we did, there, in the serene night, in front of the ancestral fire.
Afterward, we ate hamburgers, told jokes, and the children toasted marshmallows over the fire.
The rest is history. Good night, everyone back to their tents to rest after a wonderful day, closer than ever, connected to the infinite space and the charming horn of the Canadian Pacific train at three in the morning, the audible silence (to paraphrase Antonio Gala).
The next day, the sweet chirping of birds made me forget a long sleepless night and the pain in my joints.
In short, an unforgettable connection with nature, family, and the cosmos, sharing with my loves, those here, who fill my earthly life, and those who inhabit the stars which give meaning to my existence.
I’m grateful and would repeat the experience without a blink.
“I took a walk in the woods
and came out taller than the trees.”
Henry D. Thoreau
(*) Safari.
