“Yep, it’s looking better,” I overheard a Cal Fire engineer tell another patron as I stood in line for coffee at the local market—welcome words. I cried thinking about them as I drove back home. With the media intent on stoking drama and our anxiety, and well intentioned friends and relatives are expressing their concerns with exclamation points… Though please know we understand and love you anyway! If you haven’t been in this situation, it’s hard to know that sharing your alarm and your questions for us, reporting to us all the scary news you’re hearing from afar is not so helpful at this time. As much as we appreciate your concern and compassion, what we need even more is your confidence in us and in the universe—your assurance that as awful as it may seem right now, it will eventually be okay.
I guess we sort of need you to be like good parents.
With all my heart, thank you to the firefighters, emergency organizations, passionate volunteers and brave citizens caring for our city. To all my beautiful friends, neighbors and fellow Angelenos who are suffering unimaginable losses, it will never feel like enough to say how sorry I am. The parent in me believes in you, holds space for your sadness, and knows it eventually will be okay.