Wildfire is an essential part of life

I found this forest of burnt trees by accident (or was it an accident?) when I was skiing. It was such a starch contrast to the world around it that I had to stop and spend some time there. While I was looking around (up to my thighs in snow) I was reminded of a lecture that I attending in university about the importance of wildfires. The professor was teaching us that burnt trees are an essential part of a healthy forest and it made me think of the "wildfires" that we often have in our own lives. It was Epictetus who said "Every difficulty in life presents is with an opportunity to turn inward and to invoke our own submerged inner resources. The trials we endure can and should introduce us to our strengths."
I am so grateful for the opportunity to witness and learn from nature.