Yesterday was a day from hell... literally... for many folks in my part of the world. Wildfires were raging uncontrollably in some areas many miles from my home.
The biggest fire started last Saturday and due to the triple digit weather we have been having, containment by fire fighters has not had much progress. Constant high winds have contributed to the difficulty.
The news reported that 12,000 evacuations have already happened since the weekend. Meaning, a huge number of folks are temporarily homeless, if they have not totally lost their homes and precious possessions.
I can relate to the fire victims. When I was a little girl, I came home from school to watch my home in flames. My family lost everything. But God was really Good because He gave my father (the sole breadwinner) the positive outlook, determination and fighting spirit to start over. In the part of the world where we lived, there was no insurance coverage for a loss like a home. Fortunately, my father had invested in real estate because his long-term plan was to give a piece of land to each of his children. His visionary mentality paid off because the sale of one of the properties provided the opportunity for him to start over and re-establish his business.
When I look back to that long-ago time, I cannot help but feel so proud of my parents. If not for their care in handling the family finances and foresight in covering for any type of crisis, I do not know where I will be now. I might not have gone to college, found gainful employment and become a productive citizen of society.
The point I am trying to say is that fire victims should not lose hope. My advice is for them to quickly move on and not allow themselves to wallow in self-pity. If they maintained a frugal lifestyle and took care in getting appropriate insurance for their assets... job well done! They will not find it difficult to start over. Just like the mythical Phoenix, they can rise from the ashes.
These fire tragedies should send a lesson to everyone. Let us not get too attached to our material belongings because whether we like it or not, they come and go. What is important is to have the resolve of an indefatigable fighter, to not buckle down at the first sign of trouble. More important, leave the rest to the Good Lord. Things happen for a reason and it is up to us to find the message in every mess.
For those of us who remain safe and snug in our comfort zones, besides counting our blessings, let us spend a moment to commiserate with the fire victims. One great way of doing that is to send financial donations to the Red Cross and other organizatiions that shelter fire victims. This is a time when our assistance is needed and appreciated the most. Let us always remember that "what goes around, comes around."
The biggest fire started last Saturday and due to the triple digit weather we have been having, containment by fire fighters has not had much progress. Constant high winds have contributed to the difficulty.
The news reported that 12,000 evacuations have already happened since the weekend. Meaning, a huge number of folks are temporarily homeless, if they have not totally lost their homes and precious possessions.
I can relate to the fire victims. When I was a little girl, I came home from school to watch my home in flames. My family lost everything. But God was really Good because He gave my father (the sole breadwinner) the positive outlook, determination and fighting spirit to start over. In the part of the world where we lived, there was no insurance coverage for a loss like a home. Fortunately, my father had invested in real estate because his long-term plan was to give a piece of land to each of his children. His visionary mentality paid off because the sale of one of the properties provided the opportunity for him to start over and re-establish his business.
When I look back to that long-ago time, I cannot help but feel so proud of my parents. If not for their care in handling the family finances and foresight in covering for any type of crisis, I do not know where I will be now. I might not have gone to college, found gainful employment and become a productive citizen of society.
The point I am trying to say is that fire victims should not lose hope. My advice is for them to quickly move on and not allow themselves to wallow in self-pity. If they maintained a frugal lifestyle and took care in getting appropriate insurance for their assets... job well done! They will not find it difficult to start over. Just like the mythical Phoenix, they can rise from the ashes.
These fire tragedies should send a lesson to everyone. Let us not get too attached to our material belongings because whether we like it or not, they come and go. What is important is to have the resolve of an indefatigable fighter, to not buckle down at the first sign of trouble. More important, leave the rest to the Good Lord. Things happen for a reason and it is up to us to find the message in every mess.
For those of us who remain safe and snug in our comfort zones, besides counting our blessings, let us spend a moment to commiserate with the fire victims. One great way of doing that is to send financial donations to the Red Cross and other organizatiions that shelter fire victims. This is a time when our assistance is needed and appreciated the most. Let us always remember that "what goes around, comes around."
