Crinkled Oranges

Friday, June 29, 2012

Wildfires have

burning out of control the last few weeks.  Every day we watch as communities are evacuated.  It is heartbreaking to watch interviews from those who have lost their homes.  Many speak of grabbing their pets, photographs, important papers, and of course their families.  When it comes right down to it, the loss of life is the only thing that really matters.  But I can't imagine the feeling of losing everything you worked so hard to create in your home and the memories associated with that. 

I would want photo albums, of course, but I have enough of those onliine and with other family members, that I'm not sure I would feel totally lost with that.  I think the things I would miss the most are the handbuilt pieces of furniture and handcrafted items that Dad, Mom, and other family members have created.  They cannot be replicatated nor would new ones have the memorise attached.   But most of all I would miss the warmth and comfort those items bring to to me when I am surrounded by them. 

Kind of silly, as we can't take our posessions with us when we die anyway.   But we can take the memories, so I guess the lesson is to make sure that it is more about the memories being made than the  possessions.  The possessions are nice, but if it becomes more about acquiring, maintaining, and amassing even more, as apposed to developing relationships within your home, then our priorities need a check.

In the meantime, my prayers are with all those who are at risk for losing their homes and for those firefighters who are risking their lives to save them. 

2 comments:

Tom Anderson said...

Sweet comment. "I have never seen a hearse pulling a u-haul" as the saying goes.

Your admiring brother, Richard said...

You are right on about what is important in life. And, as usual, written in very warm and delicate style--which reflects and emanates from the writer's personality. You have a very fine writing style.