Coffee? Tea? Serenity?

Here is an update of info and events of the recent days. Please be patient with the lack of correct order of events. I am composing this while running like a thirsty chicken amid my own house trying to catch up on tasks which need doing, but wanting to share info with all of you.  I can multitask!

Mom and Dad’s photos - On Saturday, Andy and Mike were rummaging through the rubble. Mike grabbed a couple of books. They were not books, but photo albums. They were located 6-12 inches from the hottest spot of the fire. Nearly all of them were saved! After the death of my mom’s mother, all of the belongings were shared amongst the children and grandchildren. One of the items most treasured by my mom was her baby picture. Months after bringing the items home, Mom began to search for that baby picture. She remembered tending to it, but could not find it in her home. She looked high and low for months. I mean that she REALLY looked all over the house. I had not heard of her speak of this for months. On Saturday morning, my thoughts were ON THAT PHOTOGRAPH. The feelings and the thoughts were so strong that I had to share them with Mom. “Mom,” I said, “I have a feeling that you will find your baby picture.” Sunday morning, she phoned me to say that it had been found in the albums discovered on Saturday evening. Dad’s heart was extremely heavy about the photos of his childhood that had not been found. He remembered storing them above the closet which was no longer a closet but now a pile of ashes. Burned, we figured. On that same Saturday evening, he found the yellow envelope which those pictures had been saved in. No burns. All fine. It had been at the bottom of a desk cabinet right near the hottest part of the fire.

Temporary address - The day of the fire ended with Mom and Dad sleeping at the home of her parents which now belongs to her sister. It was ready to go and a perfect place for them to seek shelter amid those who love and care for them. They were not sleeping. They were not settling. They were in the constant whirlwind of the “days after”. A generous neighbor called Dad to offer him a trailer that he normally rents. It was vacant. He offered them the use of this trailer as long as needed while rebuilding their lives. This trailer is located about one mile from the property my parents’ home is located. They could walk to their home if they so desired. On Saturday afternoon, their belongings were loaded and moved in. They slept in their temp. home that night. Mom phoned me early Sunday morning to say, “We slept soooo good!”

Sunday Mass - Scott is preparing for Confirmation. Dad is his sponsor. Scott attended a weekend retreat relating to this preparation. Mom and Dad planned to join us for the ending Mass of that retreat. When they arrived at the church, they both looked like a million bucks! And, as usual, Roland was way ahead of Judy who was slowly coming behind him. This is their normalcy, but poor Mom is aching and feeling the effects of the physical exertion of the past few days.

They are well - The emotions are like riding a roller coaster. Fine one minute. Crying at another. Laughing at another. Similar to the death of a loved one, many emotions are evident. Mom and Dad are strong. They are humbled by the generosity of those who have come to their aid.

Andy and I - It is incredibly difficult to see our parents go through this. I will be married for 24 years this August and Andy 15 (I think) years this September. There is a long time since we’ve called that place “home”, but it is where we grew up. I was six and Andy was three when Mom and Dad began to build their/our lives there.

Mike and Kay -Mike says it is VERY hard to see Mom and Dad walking this journey. He said that if he had the money, he’d build them a home so they would have no financial worry. Kay ran errands for Mom and Dad on Friday. She called me with a warm heart to share the generosity she had been given from others for my parents. Kay was a great help in getting Mom and Dad moved it. She and I worked together to place their belongings into the trailer. Mike shopped at the dollar store to pick up kitchen necessities. He did a great job at it, too. Almost like he was reading my mind, he returned with things that I had thought of but not mentioned.

Andy and I are both particular about CLEAN houses….not immaculate, but clean. We wanted Mom and Dad to have clean, so we got busy. Andy tackled the bathroom. The cleaners nearly tackled him. He had a protective mask on at one time and was asking if there was a fan nearby. I guarantee, there will be no germs in that bathroom for a long time to come. J

Their temporary home - A large mobile home surrounded by Crepe Myrtles in bloom, covered carport, wooden deck / porch, four bedrooms, two baths, all appliances, ready to move in. As we drove up to see it with the owners, PEACE surrounded me. Mom and Dad will be comfortable was the feeling I got - immediately. Mom told me yesterday, “I could just stay here, Cindy. It is so quiet, cool, and we can watch the horses and cows from the porch.”

Insurance Adjuster - His report will read - gas leak ignited by refrigerator motor. Lots of paperwork, but it appears that this part of the business is well on its way.

God’s Hand -

Mom had been having headaches; even went to the doctor about them. She mentioned waking and needing the bathroom, but said that she had a hard time “waking”. I wonder how long the leak was there but not noticeable.

She mentioned that she didn’t know WHY she even decided to go to Crowley the day of the fire. She was sooo sleepy. She probably should have stayed home….hmmm…I think not… I think that was God keeper her safe; though the drive to her home knowing it was on fire was not an easy one.

Lester noticed smoke as he passed in front of her house. He realized that something wasn’t right. He turned around to check it out. One of my parents’ vehicles were there. He thought she was in the house - until he reached her by cell phone. Praise God for cell phones! If he could not have reached her, he probably would have tried to enter and save her putting himself in danger.

She answered! It seems that every time we try to reach Mom by cell phone, she doesn’t answer. Instead, we hear her voice mail greeting saying, “uhh….I’m not available”. It was miraculous that she answered on that day.

Gas leak! Lester was right near the kitchen when he was the first to arrive. What if a large explosion had occurred. Thank you, God, for protecting him.

Rain. It was raining on the day of the fire. All the way over there, I prayed, “RAIN! RAIN! RAIN hard! Keep the flames down. Keep the contents from burning to ashes. The rain allowed the firemen to work non-stop; otherwise the heat would have been too exhausting.

Birthday gift. My birthday was one week - to the day (Wed.) - prior to the fire. Mom and Dad served us supper and gave me gifts. Mom had purchased two items made of wood. One, the cover for inserting photos (like a frame) was a box. The other was a letter holder/mail holder. Dad had purchased a card and inserted a generous amount of cash - to which I said was NOT necessary. He said he wanted me to buy something for ME. During one of Mom’s excursions in the aftermath, she found my bag of gifts. With all of the concern of Mike’s dad, I had forgotten the gift at their house. This was in my thoughts, but I never said a word. Mom exited the house with the bag, barely damaged. It was near the TV which had melted, but it was still together, a little damp, but salvageable. The look on her face as she brought it to me was priceless. This came immediately following her shouting match with a receptionist at a doctors office while trying to refill some of their medications. Thank you, God, for allowing me this blessing. I will try to focus on this thought instead of the looks on the faces of her and Dad as they drove up to see their home being burned and firemen all over the place.

The fire proof box. It really was fire proof. Mom had stored important paper items in it. She told the fireman where it was located. He carried it out. It showed little evidence of being in a fire.

The tea kettle…Arline, correct me if I am wrong here…….Arline told me a story about the home of Aunt Lucy burning when she was around 5 years old. Arline remembers being with their grandmother helping to clean up after that fire. Mom had a tea kettle that survived THAT fire. She told the fireman where it was. He carried it out to her. Blackened, but its contents were fine. The tea kettle now sets atop a computer center at the temporary home.

Until Sunday, I had not the courage to face the sights of inside my parents’ home. Yesterday morning, I woke with feeling a need to do just that. I cried as I shared this need with Mike. I really didn’t want to do that. Calmly, wisely, lovingly, he advised me to do as I was being prompted so that I could “close that door”. Late yesterday, I walked through. The entry was the most difficult. To see the ashes, the blackened walls, the personal items once treasured - melted, burned, gone - so many years of “building” gone in a few minutes - words cannot describe. The remainder of the walk through was done in amazement. Mike showed me where rosaries had once rested, where the photo albums were, and where Dad found his envelope of pictures. I looked in awe. Unbelievable was the destruction; unbelievable was the items untouched amid that destruction.

Warnings? Does God give us warnings? For some time, I had been concerned about Mike’s health. Almost a worry about it. I prayed. I just thought it was due to the loss of my grandparents, the surgeries of my dad, or simply a fear of losing him too. His dad fell sick. Since then, I have had an undeniable need to pray as I left my home. The need produced the kind of feelings that made be go back in and pray as I walked about while doing a double check for things left on, for things that needed to be unplugged, and to check the stove even though I had not yet cooked during that day. The home of my parents burned. I am humbled at the thought that God might prepare me with a warning of those things. I am feeling that I might not have been listening closely enough because although the illness and fire were correct, I missed the “who”. I really didn’t even think them to be warnings. I considered them to be unnecessary worry.

I may not understand His ways, but I certainly can recognize Him in those ways.

Carl - We visited with Mike’s parents at the hospital yesterday. They were more concerned about my parents than for themselves - sounds like them, huh? We talked a bit about the journey which my parents are on. We talked a lot about them as well. Carl is doing somewhat better with each visit, but his eating has not increased. He continues to take just a few bites and says that he feels full. I am concerned that he is reaching a point of danger. His body needs the nutrition, but it seems to be telling him “enough”. The doctors continue to remind him that his job is to eat and to walk. He does not show a desire to walk. His sugar levels are running quite high. His blood pressure is running a little lower than normal. He sleeps a lot.  Hilda is well. She is not sleeping as she would at home, but who would. She does not speak of a desire to leave and he does not seem too happy about that thought even when we mention it jokingly. Even if she left, she feel hurried to return out of her concern for him.

My Back - With the graces of God, I have been able to be in every place that he called me with little to no pains. Moving carefully and avoiding the movements which aggravate the symptoms, I have been able to keep on going. I have noticed how the shoes I wear make a huge difference. I have been wearing the shock absorbing tennis shoes through all of this. Today, it felt good to be home. I stayed in my bath robe for the day. Who wears tennis shoes with a bath robe? I don’t think I’ll choose this outfit for too many days in a row.

Blank Mind - My mind has gone blank. It has taken me nearly the entire day to compose this post. I’ll return when more comes to mind, or more blessings are poured out upon me and mine.