Fire Fragments

We had a fire.
By definition, not a disaster, but to us, it kinda felt like one.
It's been 4 days and today Tom has started the demolition work.
You know how a water doused campfire smells in the morning?  Yup. Filling my nose right now.

I have had some time to reflect and  I'd like to be able to write some deep, profound & inspiring life lessons, but I don't have any yet. Perhaps they will come...
Instead I have a collection of images and sounds burned into my brain, like a bizarre film clip.
So, I will share that 'cause, well, that's all I have right now.

The panic in Tom's voice as he yelled for me to call 911 - the calmness at the other end of the line - the smoke beginning to fill the house.

Chad's intense, calm yet hurried response to his dad's specific instructions; racing through 4 levels of house, pulling hoses, filling buckets...I don't think I have ever seen that look in his eyes. 

Yelling. Lots & lots of yelling.

Lauren curled up in the back seat of a friend's car, clutching her blue blanket, cold, frightened, cell phone pressed to her ear, her best friend on the other end, her huge, beautiful, tear filled eyes taking it all in.

Braden's valiant effort to keep up with his brother, stymied by cold & smoke & asthma, mouth contorted and tight, unable to speak as his oxygen deprived muscles gnarled the fingers on his outstretched hand...scary.

A Bible, laptop and "bunnies"*...neatly stacked in the car, Chad's most treasured possessions, safe.

Firetrucks, filling the road with flashing red & blue, huge white lights shining through the tree limbs and onto the house, groupings of firemen, gathered throughout the yard, eager to help however they could...waiting...

And then there was Tom. Efficient, purposeful, determined not to let the fire win...leaping over the side of the deck, throwing water onto the blaze with one hand, digging embers out with the other...Superman cape flapping in the wind.

Amid it all, I glimpsed Chad's friend Steve, calm, leaning on his car, silently praying to our Father, as huge, fluffy flakes of snow drifted past him.

And then, Tom won.
We were safe; our house was safe.

The firemen left.
Chad went to Steve's for the night.
Grant & Kelsey came and took Lauren & Braden to their house.
Tom was still busily doing.
And I was sipping a cup of tea...overwhelmed.

My house was cold, smelly, dirty...violated.
And empty.
And peaceful.
I thanked God for being good...all the time.
And then I went to bed.



* FYI: "bunnies" is a bunny-covered fabric blanket that I sewed for Chad's crib before he was born. It has been everywhere he has ever gone...including Guatemala &JO tournaments. It is threadbare and its size has been drastically reduced. Usually it is around his neck when he is reading (which is pretty much all the time). Most people aren't even allowed to touch it... and should you try to take it, he will kill you. Seriously.