Dear Canada + 3 Lessons Learned in Crisis

What the LA Fires Taught Us About Living Through Transformational Times

Dear Canadians,

For many years now, we have gathered together to share stories. You have brought your gentle ways, the lilt of your "eh?"—and your deep love of storytelling.

Like you, I am watching the news with shock about this threat of a 51st state. Canadians are saying, “Americans! Do something!”

Many Americans are saying, “What can I do?”

(Spoiler Alert: At the end of this post, there is an offering for Canadians.)

Ruspy Tut

The challenges we face today are vast—so immense they feel akin to saying, Save the ocean.

Yet, I keep returning to the very real miracle of Topanga Canyon—a community that defied predictions and the odds to save itself. From the devastation of the LA Fires, three key lessons emerged, and they hold true for any crisis.

If you don’t know, those of us in Topanga Canyon lived in the mystery of burning fires for 11 days—fighting to protect our homes, our wilderness, our way of life, and each other. While battling the flames, we were also building: creating systems to communicate, to feed and nourish those who cared for us, to support those who lost everything, and now—tending to the long aftermath, monitoring the land, and addressing the pollution left behind.

---

The thing that is extraordinary about a true crisis: is that it almost becomes a new place, a new land with new rules that we suddenly exist within. The rules of this place are different, Who we are, and how we make our choices are different than every day life. If you have ever had a medical crisis, lost someone suddenly, were fired unexpectedly: You know: A Crisis is like a diving board that can catapult one into another state of being where the noise and the nonsense falls to the side— and all that matters— is serving life.

Ruspy Tut

Some People Face the Fire —

& Many Won’t

(and this is not a bad thing)

When the fires arrived in our canyon, people did one of two things.

Some saw the smoke and left.

Some saw the flames and stayed.

When fires come, service workers plead with communities to leave—so trained professionals can do their jobs: putting out the fire rather than risking their lives rescuing those who refused to go and lacked the skills to stay.

(If you aren’t fighting the fire, one of the best things you can do is get out of the way—so you can help those who are.)

Because some were born to fight fires.

It is in their nature to run toward the flames. They have been preparing for this moment. These people stay and do what they were made for: cutting fire lines, turning on generators, battling the blaze.

This happens not only with fire—but in the ER, the classroom, the business world. Every day, we face fires.

You may not know who you are … until the moment the fire arrives.

Your greatest responsibility is to listen—to attune yourself so deeply that you know how the spirit of life moves through you. Do not waste time wishing you were someone else, taking action in a way that is not true to you.

Your job is bigger.

It’s to listen for how the spirit of Life wants to live through you.

Ruspy Tut

CREATION AND DESTRUCTION

HAPPEN AT THE SAME TIME

Pele, the goddess of volcanoes, has erupted 13 times this year. The metaphor of the volcano is as literal as the lava itself—flowing forward, creating new land in the very moment that she destroys and reclaims the old.

Some will stay to defend their homes, fighting what threatens to transform their lives.

At the same time, others will begin building—new systems, new pathways, new ways of relating—right as the old crumbles. Some will create sanctuaries where ancient ways can be remembered. Others will cook, nourish, and feed. Some will tend to the nervous systems of those around them, offering calm amidst the chaos.

It is strange, unexplainable, and deeply beautiful to witness how, in crisis, people instinctively find their place outside of transactional behavior—supporting the spirit of life through the sharing of their natural gifts as Life insists on continuing.

If you have ever been in the jungle, you know the power of the forest—how its very nature is to grow.

So in moments of uncertainty, when you do not yet know how to step in or weave yourself into the moment, pause.

Lean into the spirit of Life and ask:

How does Life want to move through me today?

And then… trust the flow of life as you trust the inspiration.

Ruspy Tut

Who You Are When You have Everything

will determine

Who You Are When You Have Nothing

We saw firsthand how little money mattered in an actual crisis. It could buy a few creature comforts and some food, but when all was said and done, in the midst of disaster, relationships were the most valuable thing we had.

What feeds the soul, keeps the heart open, and the mind clear—is connection.

One of the most meaningful things we can do is gather people in—build relationships, get to know our neighbors, share meals together. Host potlucks, talk about your animals, tell old stories. Learn each other’s stories about falling in love. Play music together.

These small acts weave the fabric of resilience.

---

Against all odds, Topanga is still standing.

This is a story of hope, courage, being in the right place at the right time—of knowing when to stay, when to go, when to get out of the way, and when to take action.

A Time to Choose

Our world is facing crisis.

When you hear that word, your adrenaline may spike, your blood pressure may rise. But I invite you to see these times through the eyes of a sacred storyteller.

The etymology of crisis is rooted in decision-making.

Crisis is a moment of discernment—a time to choose.

In storyteller terms, this is the moment to ask:

What role do I play, no matter what story is unfolding around me?

• If you are a healer, you will bring healing energy to these times.

• If you are a gardener, you will plant seeds for the future.

• If you are a warrior, you will step to the front lines and unsheath your sword.

• If you are a mermaid, you may channel destruction’s energy into the beauty of dance or poetry.

• If you are a weaver, you may show up as a community organizer, strengthening the connections that hold us together.

• If you are a bridge builder, you will create a way forward—leading us from this world into the next.

---

An Offering for Canadians

I know in my heart of hearts that we are not our governments, and that coming together to hear each other’s stories is one of the most meaningful ways to strengthen our connection.

I heard you when you said the exchange rate between our countries is a burden.

So, when I ask What can I do today to bring us together when so much threatens to pull us apart?—this is one small thing:

I am offering Canadians 50% off all our story classes.

Not because I have a trust fund or am immune to the global economic shifts. (I am a single woman, supporting myself as a sacred storyteller with no grants or external funding.)

But because in times of great change, the most valuable thing we have is each other.

Promo Code: LOVECANADA (valid on all classes and private sessions)

---

One Drop at a Time, We Create Oceans of Change

One person cannot save the ocean.

But we can protect the streams and rivers that feed it. We can care for the waters nearest to us.

So today, in your own way, in your own corner of the universe—what is one thing you can do that is true to your core archetype, that allows Life to move through you?

And then… trust.