Woodsmoke Reminds Us That We'll Be Okay

The universal feeling of coziness is what we all need.

When Merriem-Webster releases the word of the year for 2020, no doubt isolation will have been a runner-up, if not the overall winner. The space we occupy has shrunk this year. It’s been mandated to do so. Freedom to roam the earth has been choked off, our homes and neighbourhoods have become the extent of our territory. As such, the little things we might have taken for granted a month ago have become infinitely more pleasing. Casual strolls are the new adventure. An extra-long walk through a new neighbourhood can be the most exciting element of the week. New scenery can boost your spirits while different sounds and smells can elicit fond memories and past experiences.

The chilly mornings we’ve been having in Southern Ontario mean more wood fires burning in homes – the pleasant scent drifting through rural neighbourhoods. Spending more time at home, as so many of us are, means morning walks to shake out the sleepy haze before starting the day. The morning walk has replaced the morning commute, which is new, yes, but so are the weekday fires. A month ago, these homes were empty by 8am, nobody inside to care if the interior was chilly through midday. Now, people wake and start the day by warming their homes and in a rural setting like ours, that means filling the neighbourhood with the inviting scent of woodsmoke. 

Things are different right now. Scary, even. But the presence of our neighbours in their homes indicated by woodsmoke drifting through the air is calming. There’s a feeling of peace in knowing coziness abounds. In the same way we enjoy seeing Christmas lights on trees through the windows of our neighbours’ homes, or candles burning on Friday night dinner tables, the smell of woodsmoke reminds us that the same things make us all feel good, make us all feel comfortable, and make us all happy.

What a great way to remember that we’re all connected, and we’re in this together.