Witch Creek Anniversary

On this Sunday morning five years ago, I was talking on the phone to my friend about a fun dinner party we’d been to the night before.  We were saying what a good time we’d had and then I mentioned there seemed to be a fire somewhere in the area.  I could smell smoke and we remembered the Cedar Fire four years earlier.  Mary had almost lost her home and, sadly, her brother had lost his million dollar home in that fire.  I said I couldn’t imagine such a terrible loss.  Little did I know that this would be the last day I spent in my own home which burned to the ground in the Witch Creek Fire.

Since that time, I have been groping my way through the dark Forest of Loss and Despair.  The fire was a life shattering event that started  a series of further losses toppling down on top of each other like a row of dominoes.  It seems like things should be so much better now, five years later, but just when I think things are looking up, I stumble over a new obstacle which sends me sliding down another rabbit hole of depression.  That’s when I have to remember all the things I’m grateful for as I claw my way back to the forest floor.  And there is a lot to be grateful for.  I have two beautiful children, good friends and a roof over my head.  As I search through the trees of my own private forest, I see hopeful rays of light in the distance.  I hate that the fire happened and I lost my home and all the things that came after that.  But if I sift through the ashes long enough, I see that some good has come from that event too.  The fire rekindled my love for writing, acting, and my passion for horses. 

 Yes, we lost all our possessions, some pets died from smoke inhalation, and our little family fell apart.  We have struggled but not as much as others.  We didn’t suffer painful burns and we are all still alive.  My prayers to all those who suffered so much more than we did.  My heartfelt thanks to my good friends and family members who have stuck by me through the bad times as well as the good because in the end, it’s love that make life worth living, not possessions.