Fire

The barn/shed burned to the ground in the early of Friday morning. I stood on the back porch as 10 firemen fought to control the blaze. The wind was blowing and the land is dry, but it didn’t come to the house. It didn’t hurt the animals. We are all safe.

It is a blow to normalcy. A blow to the ebb and flow of every day. It was an extension of the house. Storage for Christmas, bikes, our summer produce in the deep freeze, tools, cages, suit cases, furniture, a crib, high chair, car seat bases, booster seats, brewing supplies. Animal fed, garden supplies, lawn mowers, double stroller, double bike chariot, tent.

Of course it was all well used. Of course it was a collection of years of hobbies.

But we look at it and all is a pile of rubble and it is okay because we are here, we are together, we are not hurt, we are not destroyed.

We are safe. We have beds. We have each other. It is time to think through what is most important. It is time to have a Christmas ornament decorating party and start new traditions and make new memories with the children.

It isn’t often we are given a fresh slate, a nice clean slate with the chance to rebuild. A chance to remember which month to pay the yearly insurance premium (It was August 1 no November 1) So as we take baby steps into this week, as I try to close my eyes without seeing flames and hearing sirens, I think of those with great loss, with untold suffering, and I am glad for laughter and health and that we don’t even smell of smoke!!