THE STORY OF FIRE
Our family had been living on an 80-acre farm in an intentional community land trust. We did not own the land or the house, but we had lived there for over 20 years. We dedicated our time to raising kids and learning about how to meet our food needs from the land we lived on. Deep connections were made with the land and the people we lived with.
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In 2018, this home caught fire and burned. It was an old house built at the turn of the century and in need of many repairs. Although we lost much in the fire, the house was insured by the Trust. With the insurance money and a lot of sweat equity, we were able to build a beautiful custom home.
After almost two years we moved into the new house. It was much easier to live in than the previous house, making it clear that our lives had improved since the house fire. We enjoyed living in the house for over a year.
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On Christmas Eve 2021 while we were at grandma’s for dinner, our beautiful new house caught fire and we lost everything again. This time it was more difficult to find the blessing in the tragedy. The losses continued as our friends and community members chose to evict us from the land and community where we had invested 20 years of our lives.
We had chosen an alternative lifestyle that focused on producing our own food, educating our kids and connecting with the land, so we didn’t have the economic resources to purchase property. We were able to find a short term rental where we stabilized and tried to imagine a new life. Erin had been working part time at the local library. After a year of living in limbo, a job opened on Lummi Island. Erin applied and was hired as the head librarian.
Because of our commitment to community and our deep spiritual practices, we were well resourced in our relationships. Through these connections we found housing with a friend on Lummi Island. We were very lucky because housing is expensive on the island. It’s a difficult situation when the salary of the librarian can barely afford a place to live in the community where she works.
Nevertheless, the place we rent is beautiful and has offered us the stability to reimagine a life here. Island life fosters a sense of community that is hard to find elsewhere. We began to see that this is a place where our gifts could be fully appreciated and our dreams realized. When you are surrounded by such beauty and peacefulness it’s easy to believe that anything is possible. Although our housing situation is temporary we are imagining a place where we can establish community again - a community that utilizes the peace and beauty of the island as a foundation for healing and reconnection with each other and the land. We know that the wisdom we have developed in our past and our love for each other and life is a foundation for success.
Although we lost almost everything in the house fire, some things were not lost. While investigating the damage after the fire I found a Buddha statue that my brother had given to Erin. It was sitting peacefully in the master bedroom window on the second story where Erin had placed it. It sat in meditation, as if nothing had changed. This statue has been a symbol of hope for us and a reminder that our life is fine. Physically we may have lost everything, but our love and dreams remain, waiting to take a different form - the form that the world needs now. The fire was a gift showing us a new way forward. It is difficult to see the gift in tragedy. We have been privileged to have strong enough relationships with our family, community and the world, to see this gift. We have a responsibility to use our privilege to help make the world better by sharing these gifts. The capitalist exchange economy does not honor everyone’s gift equally; some are rewarded while others can barely meet their needs. This has resulted in economic inequality where good people with amazing gifts are struggling to live. Their gifts are not being appreciated or even realized. Everyone has a gift to share and the world needs these gifts.
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There is an older way that is being remembered again. Through the spirit of generosity and abundance we can support each other with giving. Our deepest desire is to help each other. We have been taught that needing help is a sign of weakness, yet we all need help. When we ask for help we are giving someone the gift of meeting our need. We will all benefit when our needs are met and our gifts are given. The world wants our needs to be met. When we ask for help it will come.
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We are asking for help to purchase property and housing on Lummi Island to be held in trust for the development of a connective community where neighbors work together with each other and the land to create a habitat of abundance that supports all of life. The spirit and act of the gift can relieve the burden of debt that is a barrier to realizing this dream. Taking property off the market and holding it in trust for this purpose offers an alternative to the real estate ownership model that continues to drive prices higher and contributes to gentrification. We all deserve a place on this earth to live and thrive. If we help each other, we can all have it.