Right now, LA is still burning. The air is thick with smoke, and the energy in the city feels heavy, laden with fear, grief, and uncertainty. For those of us here, it’s a time of reckoning—a stark reminder of how fragile life can feel when faced with forces beyond our control.
The fires aren’t just burning the landscape; they seem to ignite something deeper within us. Old wounds resurface, anxieties bubble to the surface, and the collective heaviness takes a toll on our bodies and spirits. It’s easy to feel consumed by this energy, to let it drag us down into despair.
I’ve been trying to take this challenging moment and transform it into something meaningful—into a lesson or an opportunity for growth. I’ve been reading a book about trauma, and one chapter stayed with me deeply. It tells the story of a child who witnessed the unimaginable on September 11. From his school window, he saw the airplane crash into the towers and people jumping out of windows.
The day after, the child drew a picture of what he saw: the twin towers, smoke, the plane, and people. But at the base of one of the towers, he added a black circle. When asked what it was, he explained it was a trampoline, so next time, people would have a way to bounce back to safety. That image has stayed with me. It reminds me that even in the midst of devastation, we have the power to reframe our experiences. We can create symbols of hope, mechanisms for healing, and pathways to renewal.
While we may not control the events that cause us pain, we can control how we respond. We can remain stuck in the sadness, anger, and fear—or we can choose to build trampolines. These trampolines represent resilience, hope, and the power to create an upward spiral of healing and renewal.
The energy in the city may be heavy, but it also offers an invitation—to ground ourselves, to practice compassion and kindness for ourselves and others, and to seek connection amidst the chaos. When the world feels out of control, we can turn to the small, intentional acts of love and care that remind us of our resilience.
These moments remind me that trauma and transformation often exist side by side. They challenge us to let go of what’s weighing us down, to rebuild with greater intention, and to create something more meaningful. Like the child’s trampoline, we have the power to rise above, to bounce back, and to transform pain into something that uplifts us. In these moments, we can honor the heaviness, discomfort and pain while choosing not to be consumed by them. We can seek out practices that ground us, connect with loved ones, and find small ways to create light amidst the darkness.
So I invite you to reflect: What would a trampoline look like in your life? How can you turn your struggles into a foundation for healing and growth? What needs to burn away in your life? What old stories, habits, or fears can you release to create space for healing and growth? The hardest times often hold the seeds of the most profound change. Let’s allow ourselves to grieve what’s lost while remaining open to the hope and beauty of what’s yet to come.
