Different paths. Different struggles. One shared strength.
Eighteen months ago, everything changed.
The Palisades fire took our home, community, and everything my children had known their entire lives.
Along with the physical loss came anger, sadness, and uncertainty of what will come next.
Once we found a place to live, I worried about the impact starting new schools, making new friends, and starting a new life would have on my kids.
Last week, my children asked to go to the celebration of the reopening of Palisades Village. We saw friends and familiar faces, and it was a reminder of the sense of community that the Palisades always had. It was a day full of many emotions.
But all around this retail area, the burn scars were still visible.
The rebuilding is far from finished.
Every person there has their own story of Resilience.
For some, it was months of struggle as they navigated uncertainty, deep sadness, loss, and the emotional weight of starting over. For others, the pain was too difficult, and they chose to move away and start over somewhere else. Some stayed and fought for change, determined to help rebuild not just their homes but the community itself.
The stories were different. The paths forward were different. The losses were different. However, there was one thing we all had in common.
We were there to honor what we lost, acknowledge what still hurts, and celebrate how far we had come.
That is what Resilience looks like!
