Lessons from Fire

For the past few weeks, I’ve awakened to the smell of smoke and an overcast pink sky. Although the nearest fire is 150 miles away, its presence is palpable in my daily life. Thoughts of literal and figurative meaning of fire continue to settle in my mind. The destruction, the necessity, the beauty, the purpose….how do we embrace what seems to be the all-encompassing fire?

The indigenous tribes in various locations throughout the US have managed the health of the earth by utilizing fire as a source of land management for decades. By intentionally lighting small fires, the underbrush of a forest burns out invasive plants, which allows new growth to take place, and entices animals to return to the area. The smoke from the fire reflects the sunlight, which cools the water in the river and is therefore beneficial to the fish. Tending to the undergrowth creates a healthy and sustainable forest.

How many times do we avoid having an unpleasant conversation to temporarily escape the discomfort that may ensue, the fire that may erupt? And by doing so, we are letting our feelings become the equivalent of untamed underbrush. Smoldering, spreading and with the potential to grow larger than necessary.  Disrupting our balance while becoming the fuel for a perfect out-of-control burn. Eventually the build up of those suppressed emotions become so toxic the slightest trigger sparks an irruption. 

Manage to your dead underbrush. The difficult conversations that you’ve been avoiding. That pile of stuff that you’ve been meaning to go through ‘when you have time’. The person that you’re still carrying anger towards. Talk. Clean. Forgive. For when these situations fester and grow, dealing with them will become more challenging as time passes.

The lesson from the forest fires and the wisdom of the indigenous people is to notice when you are feeling discontent & overburdened, assess the situation, then engage in a preventative solution. There might be temporary discomfort, but that is where healthy growth takes place, either personal growth, the expansion of a relationship or by creating a healthier environment.

Tending to undergrowth creates a healthy and sustainable life.