I’m wading through post firestorm in southern California and noticed it was my blog day. As I’m looking at the pile of things to be returned to their normal places, I’m also reading the emails of my sons tae kwon do team. It’s role call time, everyone touching base to make sure we’re here and not in need. The responses are spirit lifting. Tales of pets being recovered from strangers that noticed dogs in yards and no one there to take them out of the path of the flames. Residents that broke into homes that were burning to retrieve essential things like computers, pictures and desk contents. The local fire station is bearing home made posters of gratitude and heart felt thanks.
I’m amazed at the human effect at work. The pace of life is often so hectic that I forget who lives on the same block. This last week we all worked together, maybe some of the acts were small ones but the genuine smiles on everyones faces today send a warm feeling through me that I normally associate with the holiday season when we are seasonally reminded to count our blessing.
Normally I detest cleaning but today I’m treasuring every bag I unpack. It’s amazing how much of a privilege it is to have a messy cabinet to restore order to. Among the clutter is a set of Mickey mouse ears that we brought home at some point from Disneyland and dozens of other things that didn’t make it into the car for evacuation. I feel like I’m rediscovering all of those memories. It’s practically like opening presents.
There’s an incredible human effect settling over this town. We weren’t by any means a bad place to live but today while driving my sons to school I saw more smiles…more waves…more courtesy and just over all MORE. Many of the kids bore bags of donations for those that lost everything and sometime in the future we have a few parks to rebuild. But I’m confident that the people around me will be there with drills in hand and that is the silver lining to what the firestorms brought us this weekend…that spirit that woke up.
Kiss your kids…send a back up of your digital pictures to a family member that doesn’t live with you. It dawned on me as I was racing home and watching a huge plume of black smoke rising up over where my house was that the back up system for my laptop wasn’t going to be much help if I wasn’t there to pull the memory card. A rather terrifying idea when I considered that I had a new book, my third Brava in fact on my system almost ready to call…finished. I shudder as I think of losing it.
Phone numbers. I was amazed how many important numbers I didn’t have on my cell phone. I was amazed how many of my neighbors I didn’t have any contact information on. We have a small parrot and spent agonizing moments worrying that he was trapped in a fire….He’s fine. The lesson I learned was that, in spite of being well prepared at home…I was not prepared to deal with being away during the disaster. With the busy pace that we keep around here…that was something that could have hurt.
But I was also astounded by the people that helped others and the fact that we as humans are really quite wonderful things. I’m going to go finish my book today because my heart is defiantly in the mood for a happy ever after.
Mary Wine
MaryWine.com….come by and see my new website!
So glad that everyone and everything is safe.
I’m glad to hear that everyone is okay over there. It’s events like this that really remind people who great humanity can be. Thank you for sharing this.
Mary I’m glad everyone’s okay and you all made it out safely. Fires are very scary and take away your life so quickly and in such a devastating way. I love hearing about the generosity and caring of others during difficult times because it proves that when we need a hand, there’s a lot of people out there who step up to te plate.
guess there is no novmber contest