A Poem for Survivors and You Can Help Rebuild

As the weather gets colder the animals have all been snuggling in my bed at night. All of them! Two cats and a dog does not leave much room for my husband and I. And I often wake up to one or two kids in the bed, as well. I might feel annoyed at not having room to stretch or waking with a stiff neck or an arm or leg that tingles from lack of circulation where someone was laying on me, but I find myself feeling grateful instead.

Many of our friends’ pets have passed on recently and some friends of ours have lost their homes in the California wildfires. We were evacuated during one close fire, and I’m so thankful that our home was kept safe. Going through that scare and knowing how different things could be for us in an instant, I am more grateful than ever for all I have; my family and fur babies especially.

My heart aches for those who did lose their homes and these words come to mind:

Sifting through the ash and dust
waiting for a sound
willing with all my might
my loved ones will be found
fear, worry, anger, fear
waiting and unknowing
drained, exhausted, defeated
just want to close my eyes
though even closed I see the waste
that once was my whole life.

If you have lost a loved one I truly feel for you. I have as well. People tell you it gets better, and it really does, but never completely goes away. And that’s okay. When a piece of your heart goes with someone over the rainbow bridge, you can’t expect to ever heal completely.

If you’ve lost your home through any circumstance, I hope you realize it’s not really your whole life. It is devastating, but the important thing is those you love; the people you hug and who cry with you. This too, will get better. It may leave a scar, but you will rebuild your life and be that much stronger and grateful for what you have. I hope you come out of the ashes quickly and can look on it with a different perspective.

You Can Help

If you’re able, I encourage you to donate to Rebuilding Together and/or becoming a volunteer.

“At Rebuilding Together, we are dedicated to the long-term recovery of areas affected by disaster, helping restore safe and healthy homes and communities. Many of the residents we serve cannot afford home insurance, putting food on the table or buying needed medicine is just too much of a priority but Rebuilding Together can step in and help when disaster strikes. We will rebuild.” – Caroline Blakely, President and CEO of Rebuilding Together