Two days ago, my granddaughter's house caught fire. Thanks to the Christmas tree, the ceiling was on fire in seconds. The fire roared through the ceiling and roof to every room. Everyone was saved, including the newborn baby. But the house and its contents are gone.
It's a shock. It's like the 9/11 attack. Suddenly, something you expect to be there, to have, is gone. Everything is fragile, including life itself - when you remember that the toddler was right there in the living room when it caught fire. The adults and children had a hard time getting out of the house.
Shocked and confused and just wanting to tell someone, I told about this to my artist community at Wet Canvas. There's a forum there called the Cafe Guerbois, where any topic is welcome, including personal joys and woes. It helped to have responses there.
Some of the advice was very helpful. One person reminded me to just be available to my granddaughter, her partner, and their children. Another reminded me to let them talk and talk and talk about it. I knew that was important after a traumatic event but had forgotten it. Someone else reminded me that I needed to talk and talk and talk about it too.
Someone else who'd lost everything in a flood ten years ago, said it hurts when people keep saying "but isn't it a blessing that everyone is alive." If you've lost all your books, photos, furniture, and all the other things you own, it's a big loss. She said it feels like a death. I guess it is indeed a death - of a home. She said that of course the person losing the house is aware that it's a blessing that everyone survived. That's taken for granted. To tell them that can feel as if you're saying "so stop complaining about losing your things."
This was very helpful to me. I was shocked and confused. Other people reached out to help me cope with this. I really treasure this Wet Canvas community. If you're an artist, I urge you to take a look. There are forums on many different topic areas. It's a very supportive, encouraging place.
By the way, check your house and workplace. Is there a good sized fire extinguisher by every door? Are they are fully charged? Does everyone know how to use them? Have you had a fire drill recently? Have you inventoried the contents and made sure your insurance covers full replacement? Photographed the contents and put the photos in a different location? Winter in the northern hemisphere is the big time for fires.
9:00:02 AM 
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