We gathered around the firepit with friends last night for the first time this season. And yes, we toasted marshmallows and made s’mores!

There’s something magical and almost primal about sitting around a firepit as the day fades, and the stars begin to blink a greeting from the sky. It calls to some core in all of us that responds to the warmth and light and sound of fire.

Perhaps it’s the circular shape, or the fact that we tend to draw up chairs and ring the firepit, but on a balmy summer evening with the fire snapping and the fireflies blinking a response, I’m often reminded of the Native American concept of the Circle of Life.

According to this idea, we must do four things as we travel the path of life: listen, look, remember, share.  We must listen carefully to the sounds of nature and the spoken word. We must look carefully in order to truly see our surroundings. Remembering what we have heard and seen keeps these things alive. The circle will continue only if we share the lessons we have learned.