Today, after hours spent wrestling a stubborn blaze at a small hillside cottage, I found myself alone, sitting on the truck's bumper, watching smoke slowly fade into twilight. Everything was quiet—no sirens, no crackling flames, just the rhythmic sound of my breath finding its way back to calm.

In those rare seconds, gratitude hit me unexpectedly. I felt thankful for my team’s courage, our equipment’s reliability, and especially the simple blessing of silence after chaos. A sense of calm always returns, no matter how intense the flames. Reminding myself of that gives me strength—both as a firefighter and as someone who tries to bring that same calmness to yoga mats each evening.

Sometimes the best way to appreciate the silence is to first embrace the noise.

Every morning, I roll out my mat and greet the day with a gentle yoga practice. It doesn’t matter if it’s 5 minutes or 50—the act itself is a grounding ritual. Today, while moving through sun salutations, I realized just how powerful a simple, intentional breath can be.

Firefighting teaches me that life is unpredictable, intense, sometimes chaotic. Yoga reminds me that within the chaos, simplicity awaits. I’m grateful for the balance these two parts of my life create. They remind me that strength isn’t just physical—it’s also finding joy and gratitude in life's smallest, simplest acts.

So today, I’m thankful for my breath, the softness of my mat, and a simple life built around courage and calm.