Humbled by Change and Sudden Turn of Events

There have been an number of sudden and unexpected events that have taken place recently in the lives of our friends that has caused me to pause and be actively thankful for our lives.

On Wednesday one of our good friends turned on the smoker or grill on his patio and ran to the store to pick a few things up. When he arrived home he was alarmed to find that the propane tank was ablaze.

He called 911 and then considered whether he should try to deal with it, or go find the cat upstairs. Into the house he went, looking for Vash. As he was looking for her, he heard the propane tank explode. She was no where to be found. Soon James realized that flames were licking the stairway so he decided to evacuate, jumping over flames as he fled. We now realize that searching for the cat likely saved his life. He might have otherwise been in the kitchen or the main floor of the house and been caught in the explosion.

They lost their cat, Vash and nearly everything they own, but they are okay. On Thursday they returned with many friends in tow, my son among them, to see what could be salvaged. Ethan worked to find anything useful in the kitchen.The glue on the cabinet doors had melted and sealed them shut. Ethan had to break through the wood to get to the stuff inside. Only that which was intended for heat (such as their pans) came out okay. A container of sugar looked like a giant bit of hard candy. Everything in the living room was charred, melted, burn and water logged. All of the electronics are gone, but the kind folks replaced the MacBook for free. It is likely that Apple may do the same. Bless them for being so empathetic. The effects of the fire will haunt James and Missa for a long time. The day before this Missa felt blissful.

The fire has caused us to refect. It has caused much pain for my husband who has suffered from fire dreams since then.

At school a friend who is in her 10th year as a breast cancer survivor found out that she has active cancer again. She will have a bilateral (removing both breasts) and possibly reconstructive surgery. In getting ready for that she as given a battery of test where upon they found a spot on her liver and her spine. Kay simply hopes to have her life. When she dies her son will only have his stepfather as most of the rest of the family, including his father, have already died.

Another friend made a bad choice to take part in an activity at his form place of work. The federal marshalls have taken posession of many of the family computers. He could go to jail for most or the rest of his life.

Yet another friend ended his marraige of many years. She was a spender. He is a saver. She has all of the stuff she has spent her money on and walked away with about half of what he saved, too. He did not fight it much; he just wanted to be done.

All of these things that have happened to our friends make me pause and be thankful, conscious and thoughtful about the live my family lives. It could change so quickly, so suddenly. It reminds me that I need to focus on the good stuff - every day.