Loss

Major forest fires hit California with devastating effect.  Many lost everything, emphasis on thing.  Perhaps insurance will cover it.

Now I'm not making light of anyone's crisis.  There are many who have nothing to begin with.  There are many who see their life's possessions literally go up in smoke.  All have to deal with loss.

I'm not going into the cause of these fires.  They re mighty twonky in my estimation.  But whatever the source, the results remain.  BTW please investigate. Research and see where it leads you.  There are those who profit in one way or another from tragedy.

I happen to know a few of the people affected by the fires.  They have to deal with hard facts.  All my life I have known folks who suffer loss to one degree or another.

It's important to let them know they are not alone, that we can be with them through the emotional/physical/spiritual roller coaster.  Despair unstopped is mankind's undoing.

I have lost everything materially twice.  The second was a careful build up for material things.  Still, I started back with nothing in that regard.  However, I had everything otherwise. 

I had a clear field upon which to rebuild.  I was cheated out of several inheritances.  I twice lost all material things.  With the clothes on my back, I suffered at the hands of others and myself.  I let myself be batted around by the winds of fate.  Feeling sorry for myself, I could have wallowed in self pity.  I made up my mind not to do so.

I gathered my wits about me and determined a course of action.  Mind you there is the trap of making plans and not carrying them out.  There is the trap of time, thinking there was plenty of it.

Also, I didn't waste time allowing betrayal or the callous ways of some who revel in others' despair/crisis to stop me.  I have allowed for stops and starts and not asking anything of anyone I wasn't willing to do myself.  And there is no time for platitudes or feel good (or bad) pats on the head.  No pity parties in a chase the tail circle of commiseration.

We share grief especially but not limited to loss of people. But we go on. 

Decide to keep that which is given; memories, lessons, faith and rebuild.

Never give up.  Platitude?  Only if it is not followed up with action.

Loss.  Emptiness.  Crisis=opportunity.

Hope, dream, do.

Gain may not be the same, but you have to start.