Home

Yesterday, Louise and I went to the mountains to visit Louise’s brother and sister-in-law who are staying in the mountains for a week or two. We had a great meal and equally good conversation. We don’t see each other as often as we would like, but it is always nice to catch up with the latest family news and to brag about the grandkids.

I have always loved the return home after a day in the mountains. You come over a rise and there, spread out before you is night time Calgary all aglow like a galaxy of stars laid out on the ground. The city has grown over the years and this sight can be seen two or three foothills earlier. Bigger is much better in this case. I know that we are close to home and safety when I come over the rise and a feeling of comfort seems to settle over me. I have come home!

 

Last night with a full stomach and good thoughts I drove into the lights thinking about what it must have been like in years past. The light and warmth of a fire, was not only a comfort, but it was also protection. It was protection from the elements, protection from the wild things that creep in the dark and protection from the unnamed fears of the mind. I doubt that our ancestors would venture very far out at night, leaving exploration for the daylight hours. My ancestors were sea faring folk and I can only imagine the joy a light would bring after two or three months on the ocean. Not only would it mean you could get some fresh food, but the light would also mark where safe passages were located.

Traders from ancient times would follow a trail marked by the stars of the night sky, and eventually they would come over a rise and see below them the lights of whatever town or village they called home. It’s a comforting feeling.

Travelling is enjoyable, informative and profitable, but at the end of a trip, you long for nothing more than to see the lights of home. We all come home to our caves, huts, apartments, condos and houses. Home is where the light is.

I hope that all of you find joy and adventure out in the wild world, but at the end of the day, I hope you find the comforting light of home.