To build a fire

Picture credit of MarcelMasi

I chanced upon this small little article while reading The Sun a couple of days ago, and it struck a chord in me. I thought it made a lot of sense too.

Jack London, in his wonderful short story entitled To Build a Fire tells of a man caught in a freezing blizzard. The temperature dropped to 24 degrees Celsius below zero, and he tried to build a fire to save his life.

He had only three matches, and the first two were snuffed out by the wind. His life depended on that one remaining match. He managed to get a little fire going as he cupped his hands, and he held his breath.

Just as it looked like he would succeed, some snow fell from a limb overhead and snuffed out the flame. The man was doomed to freeze to death in the arctic night.

You know, there’s a lesson in this story that applies to romantic relationships. Nothing will snuff out the flickering flame of love more quickly than hovering too close and trying too hard to make it burn. You see, the bonding between two people occurs best in an atmosphere of confidence and freedom. Those who reveal their insecurities and attempt to force themselves on their lovers are putting everything on the line.

That’s like tossing snow on a tiny fire. How can you turn it into a roaring furnace? By giving it plenty of oxygen and trusting the combustion of the fuel. Love, you see, must be confident; it must be free; and it must be voluntary.

Que sera sera – whatever will be will be.