06/03/2026
Fear, loss, trauma - so many events and energies in the world these days - can lead to greater separation and isolation.
But as this beautiful story and image tell, we have the powerful choice to remember what matters most and to come back into love, connection and community.
It doesn't have to happen all at once. It can be a matter of taking one small step after another, but little by little we can return to ourselves and to the loving connection that we are designed to experience and enjoy.
https://www.facebook.com/100095018892920/posts/838261576017798/?mibextid=Nif5oz
The Fire Between Us
The mountains stood timeless beneath a sky painted in rose and gold.
Snow-capped peaks touched the horizon while a quiet river mirrored the fading sun. Along its banks, surrounded by pine forests and the gentle hush of evening, a family of bears gathered around a small fire that danced atop a circle of stones.
An old woman watched from the doorway of her lodge nearby.
Her name was Sani, and she had spent nearly eighty winters listening to the wisdom hidden within nature. While others saw animals searching for food, she saw stories unfolding in silence.
Tonight, the bears reminded her of something humanity had begun to forget.
The larger bears sat facing one another, each holding a fish they had caught from the river. A cub lingered nearby, curious and safe beneath their watchful presence. The fire reflected in the water, creating a ribbon of light that connected them all.
Years earlier, Sani had lost her husband.
Afterward, grief convinced her that life was a solitary journey. She withdrew from friends, avoided gatherings, and spent many seasons carrying her sorrow alone. Yet loneliness, she learned, is a poor teacher. It speaks only of separation while ignoring the countless threads that bind every life together.
As she watched the bears, a realization settled gently within her heart.
The fire was not important because it provided warmth.
The fish were not important because they provided food.
What mattered was the gathering itself.
The sharing.
The presence.
The bears could have eaten separately along the riverbanks. Instead, they remained together as darkness approached, instinctively understanding a truth older than language: survival is strengthened by connection.
The river continued flowing past them, carrying the colors of sunset toward distant valleys. Above, the first stars appeared in the deepening sky.
Sani smiled.
She finally understood why the happiest moments of her life were not marked by possessions, achievements, or victories. They were marked by people gathered around tables, campfires, and conversations—small circles of belonging created against the vastness of the world.
As night settled over the mountains, the fire burned brighter.
And in its glow, Sani remembered that while life may often lead people down different paths, it is love, community, and shared moments that keep the darkness from feeling cold.
For in the end, it is not the fire that warms the heart.
It is those gathered around it.
