Resilience

I’m not quite sure how to begin this story. It’s not something I’m particularly proud to tell, or know how to express well. So, I guess I’ll just start from where I remember. I was sleeping in my bed on the afternoon of February 10th. I work overnight during the week, so I usually sleep…

Many people have said things like, “You know, at some point, not now, but at some point it’s going to be fun, you get to design whatever house you want, and buy brand new things.” There’s always extra emphasis on “brand new things” when they say it. While I know logically this is probably the…

NOTE: You can read part 1 here “I need to call my mom.” “Mam, we need your ID.” “My phone and purse are in my car.” “Where is your car?” “It’s in the road, the lady in the pink bath robe has my keys.” I suppose they sent someone to find her. I don’t really…

Today we went back to the house. By we I mean myself, my mom, dad and two good friends. Bill cannot go back in, and rightly so. I however felt like I needed to conquer it, to seek out anything the fire tried to take but missed. I’ve had a running list on my phone…

by Bill On Sunday after the fire the folks at Service Master were going through the house again, to find everything else they could clean and salvage. I couldn’t face the house that day, so I sat on the front lawn and watched as they catalogued and tagged everything we owned that might be salvageable. I…

by Bill So, I’ve never really been one to put much stock in owning things. Don’t get me wrong, there were things I really enjoyed and would spend money on to own, but I never thought things had meaning to me. That is, until I lost everything. We were walking through the house on Saturday,…

by Chris I’ve always worked well with lists, there’s something cathartic about scratching something off a to do list item once it’s done, like the mark of a hero who’s just conquered a great nation. I still keep (or kept, it burned) a physical day planner just so I could work weekly to do lists…

by Chris The alarm went off on my phone, it was time to pick up Issa. I was wrapping up a phone call with a friend and closing up shop for the weekend. I closed the curtains in my office grabbed my purse and keys and walked out the door. It took me 10 minutes…

I don’t know what to write or where to begin. I don’t understand the feelings I am having and the fear that grips me when I think of the events of February 10th. All I can seem to see is the smoke filling my house and feel the heat blasting me in the face while…

Almost two weeks ago, I watched my house burn. I said goodbye to my dog on the front lawn while people watched. I almost lost my husband, who was asleep in the house at the time. Day two after the fire, I borrowed my mom’s computer and I started writing. I’m still writing. And I’m…