8 days ago, life as I knew it came crashing down

This still feels very raw, tender, vulnerable. 

And so difficult to talk about. 

I grew up in one of the most magical places in the world. On a 4.5 acre small country property, where we had peach trees, animals, and grew our own food. We could walk up the forest trail behind our home, and see waterfalls. The property overlooked Okanagan lake, and it was the most peaceful home for our family for the last 45 years.

Mountain sheep, deer, coyotes, bears, bobcats, owls, and countless other precious animals were regular visitors (I will never forget the day I came face to face with a bear in the garage, at age 8, putting my bike away!! 🐻 😬).

On Thursday Aug 17, a devastating fire ripped through Kelowna. The fire chief described it as 100 years of fires in 1.

As it's a rural area, there is a volunteer fire department... and my dad is a member. Thursday, my mom evacuated their home, and my dad went to work the fires.

That night, he sustained burns on his face and arms trying to save homes. And my family home was burned to the ground... their entire property devastated and completely destroyed.  Thankfully, my dad is healing well, and he will be fine. He returned to the fire lines the very next day, and has reported for work each day since.  The entire fire department, made of 23 volunteer firefighters continue to fight the fire daily. Their bravery and courage astounds me, surrounded by so much devastation. Even as their homes burned to the ground, and their children were evacuated and staying in hotels, they continue to fight and defend the homes of their neighbours. At this point, 13 of the 23 firefighters have lost their homes. You can see their fire chief share here.

And so many of you have reached out to share love, support, and to ask me what you can do. I am so grateful... your love and messages mean the world to me under the scariest circumstances.

And now... I do have some ideas of how you can help and support.

1. Now, more than ever, your tools MATTER. The things you have been using to connect with your Soul, to grow your intuition, to expand your spiritual gifts... are the very same tools that are CRITICAL during a crisis. Both for yourself... to find some footing in the chaos. AND for your loved ones... because it allows you to hold space for what others are experiencing.

People need to know they matter. That their life has meaning. That we are doing all this FOR something. And for me, when I ask those questions, I always return to my spiritual gifts and my tools like Numerology. They always bring me home to myself. To help me find my truth. And this is how we move through crisis and chaos. 

2. Take care of each other. Find your people, the ones who love you, believe in you, and want the best for you. Hug them hard. Check in on them. They may seem fine... but you never know how much a little note of love can be the lifesaver they needed that day. When we come together, we can move through this with love and compassion and community and healing.  And when we isolate, it's fear and insecurity and scarcity and loss.

3. If you have the means to help, please do.  A Go Fund Me was set up to support the firefighters in my dad's hall who have lost their homes. You can check it out here. Or share your time and resources however you can in your communities to those who need it (lets face it, there are crises EVERYWHERE right now). 

It is always those who are isolated who don't get the support they need. And I believe this tragedy will fall the hardest on the farmers, who face loss of crops, troubles harvesting, smoke damage, loss of customers, and so much more.  And of course people who live in rural areas will also be struggling to access resource and support. And the businesses who are suffering because tourism has dried up, and many have left town. Support can look many ways... eat in the restaurants.

Buy from your favourite shops. Share and comment on their social media posts. Show them love, because it's rough to try to be strong as your community is struggling around you.

Mamas for Mamas is a grassroots organization that has been providing invaluable support to everyone displaced and is also accepting donations of all kinds.

The same view, before and during the fire:

 💕 What I most want say is this:

Thank you. 

Thank you for being here with me, thank you for being on your own journey, even when crisis and chaos comes up. I see you. I know the massive challenges you continue to overcome as you move forward.

And it's not lost on me how hard we are all working to create this One Wildly Precious Life. 

And this is something we do TOGETHER. By walking this path, Soul Aligned, Heart Open.

Thank you.

 P.S. Oh yes, and shout out to the server at the breakfast restaurant who cried with me the other day. As my friend Lea talks about... these people that hold space for us in seemingly small ways... can actually be the hands that help us through traumatic events.

And of course, the therapists, coaches, healers, and intuitives... you are life lines for people going through trauma. Thank you.