Change - Part 2, The Aftermath

The Aftermath

The day after the fire, we were able to go back into our home to assess the damage. I was heartbroken at what I saw. So many things were destroyed; things that may not be valuable to anyone else, but were invaluable to us. 

My son's room was the only room where the ceiling did not collapse, however, a lot of his things were smoke damaged. The other bedroom held most of my pictures but thankfully, they were protected by the plastic storage box they were in while tucked away in a closet. 

There are things that we lost that I have been wanting to replace for a long time. But, being the frugal person that I am, I couldn't justify replacing them while they were still useful. For instance, Bill and I bought the washer and dryer set when we first got married, almost 24 years ago. I also had an ironing board for that long. But those things burned because they were close to the garage where the fire started. Needless to say, I am not sad about having to replace them!

While looking around, my son came across a small, record-able picture frame that had his picture of when he was about two years old in it. I had recorded him saying his name. At that age, Christopher was a big word for a toddler to pronounce correctly. He said it in a way that was just too cute. I will never forget the way he said it, of course, but realizing I still can hear it was an awesome surprise. 

Another item is a picture of Bill and his mother of our last Christmas with her. It was on the fireplace hearth, still standing even though it was covered in debris.  It was in a thick, glass frame that had protected it from damage. We cleaned it up and it is now sitting on the tv stand in the apartment where we are living until the house is rebuilt.

One other very special item that survived, believe it or not, was a ficus tree that was given to me as a wedding gift all those years ago. It had part of the ceiling laying against it and a small limb was broken off but it was mostly okay. The couple that gave it to us was very special to me, and have both since passed away. How I have managed to keep it alive, I'm really not sure. Although, there was one time that I decided it needed some sun and so I set it outside, in the summer heat. Even though it showed its disapproval for a while, I was able to nurse it back to health. It is currently serving as our "Christmas tree."

That little tree is a simple reminder to me of the following passage, which says:

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—    whatever they do prospers.

Be blessed,
Dawn