The burn that started it all…
It was my wedding day. At least, it was supposed to be. It was in Topanga Canyon, California. I rented an airstream, set the table on the deck overlooking what could be confused for heaven, and invited some of my most cherished humans.
There was no wedding. Instead of putting on a white dress, I put on a floral one. Barefoot and baring my soul, I cheers'd to the beautiful blooms and most devastating burns in life that we around the table, had all experienced in one way or another. There I stood. Having called off and walked away from something I had loved dearly. Grateful and yet grieving, I raised my glass.
Instead of a one day event, a movement began.
From that moment on, I wanted to create space for others to share their fires. We all burn and bloom. We will continually go back and forth between the two. And fires are necessary for seeds to break and bloom. Each season is different. Each season changes. Trees have multiple fire rings. So will we.
This experience is now a ring in my trunk. A darker, thicker, fire ring amongst the thin rings of time and other areas of growth. Remembering that the only way for the giant, mighty Sequoias to grow is through wildfires.
May we embrace the fires that come. Knowing we will burn... only to bloom.
I continue to set tables for groups of friends coming together— to celebrate a new life, a new couple, another year around the sun, or simply to sit amongst a community who rejoice with those who are rejoicing, and mourn with those who are mourning.
I’ve now hosted over 30 dinners, in 3 different countries, designed 8 weddings, have met hundreds of new faces, shared my stories, sat with others as they’ve shared theirs, drank wine and whiskey and the refreshing air that lingers in spaces like these.
We cycle between the burns + the blooms. I welcome you to the table in both.
Wild... how my greatest heartbreak led me here, to my greatest self, and to my greatest work. Wildfires create space for new growth. Oh, the cyclical seasons of burning and blooming. I find myself breaking through the ash covered ground, into new life, once again.
In what cycle do you find yourself in? There is potential for greatness in both. Allow it to fuel you further into the depths of your heart. You may be surprised what reveals itself. A passion, a purpose, a new perspective. Maybe a table full of wildflowers. Or a life of gold that could only come after a wildfire.
