Every Rose Has Its Thorn… and Leaf
I’m wrapping up this scrapbook week of Bass Canyon Campout posts with how it all ended.
And it ended—like all sacred journeys should—in a circle.
Sunday afternoon, the final crew gathered. About a quarter of the tribe had already packed up and peeled off. But the rest of us were still lingering, taking our time, slowly breaking down camp while soaking up the last bit of soulshine.
Trucks pulled away. Goodbyes were said.
But those of us who remained circled up for one of the most powerful practices I’ve ever known.
Rose. Thorn. Leaf.
One by one, we went around and shared:
Our Rose—the high point, the most beautiful moment.
Our Thorn—the hardest part, the struggle.
Our Leaf—what we’ll take forward and grow with.
The real magic wasn’t just in the sharing.
It was in the listening.
You get to hear what truly lit people up. Some of it surprised me. Deep, unexpected joy.
Then came the thorns—people naming their challenges, their emotional edges. Again… I had no idea some were carrying those things.
And finally—the leaf. The direction they’re going now. What they’re taking from the weekend to live more open. More deep. More whole.
I’ve done this practice for over a decade in my work. But that Sunday circle hit different. Something about that campout. That fire. Those people.
Maybe it was the fatigue. Maybe it was the rawness.
But the vulnerability was next-level.
And it bound us together in a way that felt more like family than I’ve ever felt.
My Rose?
There were many. But one of the biggest was Wednesday night. Sitting by the fire at 2AM. Peaceful.
I had built something… and they were coming.
I could feel it.
That rare, sacred moment of satiety. You did it. It’s working. It’s real.
My Thorn?
Losing my temper after a horrible performance in my last game of cornhole. It triggered an old story. Still work to do there.
My Leaf?
To enter these events with more grace.
Less stress in the lead-up.
More joy throughout.
And now—one week later (Today is Friday, exactly a week from Sacred Theater Night)—I’m holding one more Rose:
Gratitude.
Who gets to do these things?
As I hear from people this week, I can feel it in them. The tribe is okay. We’re tired, yes. Emotional tides rolled through some of us. But we’re landing.
We’re integrating.
We’re taking the peak moments of our lives—and using them to live deeper, more open, more true to the wild light of our hearts.
Yeah… gratitude.
Through and through.
A sacred fire has been lit in me.
—Jason