The Fire Within Us

Yet my heart and thoughts drift to those whose worlds have been changed forever by the merciless fires. While we were fortunate to be spared—this time—many others were not. Driving through fire-affected landscapes to lend what help and hands we could, I was met by a haunting familiarity: the scorched earth, the smell of smoke and the hollow silence after the roar.
And still, amid the blackened ground, there it was—the unmistakable glimmer of hope.

Because in moments like these, we witness the very best of humanity. Have you ever wondered why that is? Why, when all seems lost, people reach deep down inside and shine so brightly for others? Perhaps it is because the fire strips things back to their essence. It burns through our differences, our opinions and our fears. It reveals a fundamental truth that lies beneath the ash and grief. Something that has always been there: a beating heat, a desire to protect and a longing to help.

It’s a knowing that extends beyond our own kind.

We don’t have to have lived the experiences of others to recognise ourselves in them. We don’t need to know every detail to their story to understand their pain. The same is true for non-human animals who share this world with us. Their hearts beat with the same urgency; their fear is just as real and their relief just as profound when kindness finds them.

The fire reminds us how fragile everything is. But it also reminds us how powerful we can be when we let empathy be our guide. Compassion is not a finite resource and it grows best when it is shared.

The challenge, perhaps, is not finding kindness when tragedy forces us beyond our comfort zone, but learning how to keep it alive when the smoke clears. To let it guide our everyday choices. To allow it to shape the world we are building, moment by moment.

And as we reflect on the year that has been, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your belief, your support and your compassion throughout 2025. None of this work is possible without you walking alongside us.

As we step into 2026, my hope is simple and steadfast. That together, we will continue to choose kindness. That we keep walking, hand in hand, towards a more humane and just world for humans and non-humans alike.

Because even from the ashes, kindness has a way of catching light again.