The Burn Pile

As is tradition for most northern New Englanders, we burn our leaf pile every fall. In the spring, we do our yard clean up of felled branches, dead trees, and anything else that hasn’t survived the long Maine snow season. Having two fires a year is not intimidating. My husband is the son of a fire chief, so I am certain we’re operating these piles with the greatest care and supervision. Because of this, we can also use the chance to throw things on the fire that are simply not nice enough to give away, and are burnable. The old wooden benches that my parents had 30 years ago were rotting and warped. We threw them on the fire. The kids’ old wooden playset was no longer safe, and considering our children are now teenagers, it was easy enough to take the useless pieces off to burn. (I should point out that the good wood from the playset was recycled into the bunny’s summer hutch). Our first living room set from “This End Up” that saw us through a couple of decades, first inside, then out….it was busted and useless. But, it made for wonderful fodder for the fire.

Unlike the Bonfire of the Vanities, in which 15th century Italians were urged to burn any objects that would lead them to the sin of self-centeredness, or the famous Nazi book burning so lavishly depicted in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, our burn pile does not signify hatred. Rather, they’re a cleaning out of items that are unneeded. (And not environmentally hazardous).


If we look at the burn pile metaphorically, we can intuit what would like to rid our lives of that is weighing us down. Can we let go of toxic relationships ? What about unhealthy habits ? How about needless spending on more material “stuff” ? Let’s go further…can we rid ourselves of rage, of bigotry, of jealousy and of greed ? Can we toss ambivalence and bitterness and contempt on the fire ? Let’s think about what else we can release the flames: impatience, ingratitude and fear of change. What about just letting go of snarky responses to those we love most...and usually bear the brunt of our bad day grouchiness ?


The ancients used to believe that burning brought purification. The fires brought renewal after they burned out. One of my favorite myths is that of the Phoenix: the bird that will live, will burst into flame, and then will be born anew from the ashes. Just as areas of new, green growth can be seen after a fire has ravaged a canyon, so can the areas of our lives be cleared out of negativity. If we toss anger onto the flames, we can cultivate compassion from the ashes. If we relinquish our need to “keep up with the Joneses”, we can feel deep gratitude for all that we’ve been blessed with. And, if we can surrender ambivalence over to the bonfire, releasing it forever, we can ignite a passion within ourselves to create the reality we choose.


So, if you had a bonfire, to rid your yard of the debris of your life, what would you burn ? And, more importantly, what you cultivate in its place ?