Every Event Is An Opportunity

Life goes on.  We have a new apartment located in a complex which sits on the beach front promenade.  It will take some time to rebuild our new apartment but then we are in no hurry.  We need to explore our options and enjoy the adventure. 

I know I have not been doing a good job of keeping up but this has been a very traumatic last four weeks since the Thomas fire destroyed our apartment.  Over the next few days we were mired in a robotic haze of tasks which had to be done.  We have rented a new apartment, purchased a few necessities, filled out insurance forms and tried to get back into a semi normal routine.

I expected it to very difficult to merge our huge loss and the emotional tragedy with what is normally a very exciting and joyous season.  Somehow we seem to be doing both.  We are going through the grieving process.  The loss of our apartment is still very hard to believe, even as we stood on the site and looked out over the smoldering ashes.  Our lives as we knew them have changed dramatically and they will never again be the same.

At the same time we are experiencing this outpouring of support from friends, family, and complete strangers.  We have people reaching out to us from both our high desert and the beach families.  It is what we always talk about, this feeling of community, but feeling the goodness of people first hand in the midst of disaster has been a sobering experience for me.

The inside of our new apartment from the deck.  Not much there except a borrowed chair and a few other borrowed items from the generosity of our friends.  We left with our computers, phones, iPads, a couple of changes of clothes, one of two cars and the contents of the lock box.  Most important we are safe and sound and have each other.  What more do we need to rebuild our life?

We have been blessed.  While we have always known how fortunate we were, the events of the last four weeks have shown us that God has smiled on us. 

We have learned that having each other is what is important.  As long as we have each other the possessions are not as important as they used to be.  Together we will be able to rebuild our lives.  The next few months/years are an opportunity we are just now discovering.