Advice Column

Burn it down

Lisa Liguori Season 5 Episode 11

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Hello Friend,

In 2019 I visited Yellowstone National Park with my parents and sister. We hired a tour guide who had encyclopedic knowledge about its geysers, mudpots, bears, bison, and other marvels. 

At a scenic overlook where we hopped out of the car for a photo op, he nonchalantly said something surprising. 

Forest fires are good for nature.

Pointing out the pinecones on a nearby tree, he told us they were “serotinous cones.” That type of cone can hang on a Pine for years, but the seeds won’t be able to be released because the cones are encased in a resin. To be released, the material has to be melted away. That only happens when there is a forest fire. So there is a mechanism for rebirth triggered just when it is needed most.  

Our guide also explained that forest fires have many benefits. They clear away old brush to make room for the new. They remove the build-up of kindling, preventing a much larger blaze in the future. And they deliver nutrients back to the soil through their ashes.

Have you ever felt a desire for something new to come into your life? I have. And I wonder if we can make room for that “new growth” by clearing out some of what is ready to be “upcycled.” Whether it’s removing physical clutter, pruning an overly full calendar, or releasing burdensome expectations of ourselves, I have a sense that burning down some old growth will create fertile soil for something fresh while simultaneously nourishing what should stay. 


This spring(summer), I hope you enjoy a sense of roominess and ease.

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