September 22
The children are suffering. Overwhelmed mothers tell me how they cling to them, have nightmares, are hyper/irritable and ask “is this home going to burn? Is this home okay?” Many families did not receive warning until the last minute, did not have cars and had to scramble in with neighbors, many drove through flames on both sides, and many had to leave beloved pets. And after all this, their entire community is reduced to ashes with virtually no homes to resettle into. Now, to survive, parents have little time to soothe them. They must leave them with older siblings to go get whatever work or resources they can, to rebuild their lives. Parents and children are anxious, grieving and traumatized because the bottom has fallen out from under them, and they are still dangling.
With my play therapy background I know children are so resilient. Their inner healing impulse guides them in knowing how and when to release and integrate whatever trauma they face. I’ve seen this magic even in the most harrowing cases. I have hope for the children but I know there will not be true healing until the basic need of a home, un hogar, is met. The anxiety and fear cannot be completely soothed when they remain in limbo. This is why I keep seeking support to meet basic needs.
Yesterday, I took two little ones, who are staying with us, into our garden. They fed the chickens kale very cautiously. They’ve been managing fears of all of our animals, having good cries and moving through it. Slowly they got closer and were soon uprooting plants to give to the chickens! Resiliency. Regeneration.
My beloved corn was thrashed by the winds, but she still held her many gifts. We harvested and shucked these to reveal her tiny gems. I wondered whether it’s safe to eat them with all the toxic ash that soaked the air. Water and ash creating lye. I moved here to be close to the land, to tend my garden, and now the water, the soil, has been polluted beyond comprehension. But there is still something about holding these seeds in my hand.
The green corn I planted precisely to grow seeds is highly imperfect but it has produced more seeds to preserve the species. I think about our ancestors and their tenacity. How many times did they look at seeds in their hands with doubt and yet the inherent hope that the potential for new life and new beginnings brings? How many journeys did they walk with precious seeds inspiring their footsteps? The children are these seeds. They are every familias reason to move forward. They love their babies dearly and are doing whatever it takes. Even in the midst of shambles and despair, I see corn mama smiling upon her people, guiding us with her hard won wisdom.
Please help me keep addressing the basic needs that support healing and HOPE. Your donations are going to new tools for work, down payments on trailers, and specific needs that cannot be met by gift cards. I finally have a GFM. Thank you so much!
(Also if you feel moved to share, please write a few words on your post, if you can, as it helps FB algorithms make it more visible. Gracias♥️)
To Donate:
Go Fund Me: www.gofundme.com/f/almedafireslatinxrelief
Venmo: @sylvia-Poareo
Note:
I’ve been sharing my experience of the Almeda Fire in southern Oregon on my Facebook page, but I want to share it here so you can all walk with me on this journey. Click the “Almeda Fire” tag at the bottom of this post to read the entire series.