Ash Wednesday is a reminder that we all have a Phoenix inside us. Periodically we need to be consumed by an inferno that burns away everything temporary and fleeting.

And then in time we reemerge from the ashes, new, fresh and ready to take on the world.

Yet at this stage we may be frail and vulnerable, needing the nurture and care of mentors and a community that provide safe space in which to try our wings.

In the process we may even discover that our tears have cleansing and healing powers.