You Make the Best of What's Still Around...
Zenyatta Mondatta (one of the greatest albums of my youth)
When the World is Running Down
I don't know about you, but I have found that much of the music of my youth sounds pretty prescient right now. But maybe I am attempting to adjust my rose-colored glasses to see the past as perfect or much better than current times. But what I write about today is more about grabbing what's good and fiercely protecting it for your well-being as we march bravely into the rest of this _____ (fill in the blank) year.
There is no sugar-coated pill to swallow as we move through 2025, stunned by images of historic natural and societal events. I have been reading a lot of non-fiction because I have never given up believing that knowledge is power. In these readings by historians and social scientists, all of the events we have and are experiencing have been predicted, whether natural or societal. While I accept these facts and intellectually understand them, I somehow expected not to have the air knocked out of me when feeling the sheer force of destruction. And yet, as I drive through the battered streets of Altadena, I can't breathe.
I have driven these streets a few times in the last two weeks to bear witness with historical eyes, or at least a writer's eyes, and each time, I marvel at how the landscape reminds me of the ruins of Herculaneum, the coastal town close to Pompeii that was also devastated in Vesuvius's eruption in 79 CE. I am gutted, but I am also struck by how many trees have lived and will tell the tale of these fires in Los Angeles. While many trees have gone down like the houses have, others appear alive and bear witness to the catastrophe. These trees remind me that we must make the best of what is still around. We must grieve, but we also need to sift through the remains of our physical and spiritual selves and engage with what is good. Remind ourselves that rebirth is possible. We must don the phoenix mindset and rise from the ashes.
The Trees Witness Everything
As I write this, I remember the book of poems by Victoria Chang, a lovely collection, The Trees Witness Everything, and I think she is right, "[...] Maybe all pain is joy." (White Morning, p.29).
I wander through 2025, consuming water, air, and words enough to build my capacity, shake off soot, and welcome the dawn of each day. The older one gets, the easier it is to become grateful for the sunrise, knowing it is not promised to humans living out average life spans. We are not trees, after all.
However, I do have a little tree gift for my readers. I made you a zine (again)! One of my aspirations this year is to do little acts of kindness for others as often as possible. This life is hard, but it is made a little easier by being in community with others and serving them. A few weeks ago, I led my students in this activity, and they made uplifting zines for first responders and those affected by the fires.
You can download my zine gift to print and fold. Consider paying it forward and leaving it for someone to find or gifting it to a friend in need. If you are worried about how to fold this one-page zine, Austin Kleon, one of the great zine creators, provides instructions on folding zines properly in his newsletter about a gratitude zine, which I have linked before (scroll mid-way down the page for the video).
Honestly, making a zine is quite therapeutic and meditative. I made this one in Canva, but making them by hand is also much fun. You can make a zine on any topic under the sun. They are a great way to put good words out there, but they can also be informative. In a world with so much static and chaos, a zine can remind us that algorithmic traffic does not define us.
Zine: Do You Have 10 Seconds for Joy?
Supporting Eaton Fire Recovery Efforts
I continue to support the Eaton Fire recovery. If you want to help those affected by the fires, here are the organizations I support. Please also view my Eaton Fire Support page for other opportunities to serve our community.
Also, tell your friends I am running a promotion from now through August 2025. I will donate all the proceeds from my book sales to the above nonprofits, helping Eaton Fire recovery efforts.
I leave you with my favorite song when I was about 13 years old (the age of my soul, currently):
From my all-time favorite Police album
Be safe, friends. Take care of yourselves and each other. And, Read, Read, READ! 😇
Be Well,
🌊 Bridget
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