Come Home to the Hearth

There were never statues of this most ancient Greek goddess, for she took no human form. Hestia was seen only in the fire of the hearth, living in the center of every home, an honored guest and helpful to her hosts. As the hearth goddess, Hestia symbolized family unity; by extension, as goddess of the public hearth, she embodied the social contract. At this ever-burning public hearth, the prytaneion, she bore the name of Prytantis; there first fruits, water, oil, wine and year-old cows were sacrified to her.

According to Greek legend, Hestia was the firstborn of the Olympian goddesses. Her antiquity is attested by the Greek proverb "Start with Hestia," meaning "Begin things at the beginning." In the beginning of her worship, matrilineal succession seems to have been the rule, and traces of it survived in the custom of classical Greece whereby a new home was not considered established until a woman brought fire from her mother's hearth to light her own. In the same way, Greek colonists brought fire from the mother city's public hearth to assure the cohesion of their new communities.

Heather needs me to attend the hearth so I have come home to the hearth. Is there a gentle way to say that we are one and the same person, yet nothing alike? While Heather rides with the Riders of Rohan, accompanied by a band of Amazonian word warriors, wolves, swans, ravens, dragons and angels, to defeat the enemy that is attacking her most precious one, I am here at the hearth to look after both of them.

It is me who tends the hearth at the Blakey household. I am the one telling them to hold one another and cry as much as they want. I have held them as they have wept and grieved. I am the nurturer who swung into action as soon as the news came through. I have been filling the cupboards, making baked bread and butter puddings (Darryl's favourite), sitting them down with hot chocolates filled with melting marshmellows, making sure Greg had a wonderful birthday dinner, walking the dogs, comforting mother's, holding everyone's hands, reminding them that they are strong enough to triumph.

So any time you want to come on down to my kitchen and sit and talk to me you are most welcome. I have plenty of soul nourishing food. I have tins filled with freshly made biscuits and cup cakes, rich warm casserles, hot roasts, pots filled with warm soup and freshly brewed coffee or herbal teas.

Welcome to my hearth.