An ode to cheminée traps a new year celebration in warm cottage deep in Chamonix valley of France…..The smell of burning logwood emanates a sense of time freezing still. A tranquil milieu, warmed by love….A perfect beatitude. Old photo albums lay scattered around us as we all sat cuddled around the fireplace. Our laughter grew louder and louder, infectiously spreading as we walked down memory lane. The flames lapped around in a synchronised dance with our sounds and seemed to enjoy our reminiscence of the past colourful years.Silly family anecdotes, lovers tiffs, childhood shenanigans, sibling attacks constantly ripping us into laughter till our bellies hurt. Burnt marshmallows jutting out of sticks that have been roasted in the fire left uneaten as we paged through each album. And for that one instance, I look up and steal a mental photograph of us all sitting together, cuddled up, full of love and laughter…And then I feel his presence. His fatherly presence blankets us all, like an invisible sheath of protection. And I close my eyes with a deep sense of gratitude of what we have and what he has left us with.I celebrate togetherness
