In the wake of recent wildfires, floods, and disasters I want to encourage any of you in the midst of these tragedies, or supporting families who are affected by them. You’ve found yourself suddenly thrust into the center of a stage you never wanted to be on—one filled with sadness and hurt. Reflecting on the last ten years since we lost everything in a wildfire and also went through rough medical challenges with family, I’ve gathered some thoughts about how a similar series of losses have helped us in unusual ways. Every crumb of lessons we’ve learned has been helpful…
Our 10-Year Wildfire Anniversary
Today is our 10 year anniversary from the Witch Creek wildfire in San Diego. My son Jonathan wrote this for our MakeUsSmile.com thank-you website a few years ago. This year, we’ve moved to the Bay Area and again lost 1/3 of our possessions (somehow the movers misplaced them!) so we keep learning to hold “things” loosely and remain resilient in the face of challenges. That Night…What Happened With The Fires You can focus on the worst, or you can focus on the best We try not to focus on the bad part, but in case you’re wondering, here’s some of…
10 Things To Expect As Friends Rebuild Their Lives
Do you have a friend who’s had a sudden loss of property or huge life change? Here’s 10 things that you may want to anticipate as you partner to help them through this difficult season of life as they rebuild and start again. Decisions are hard – whether they’re dealing with doctors in a hospital or stacks of paperwork that suddenly replace their former home, a victim of trauma from fire or flood will have a hard time making small decisions. We all used to call it “fire brain” and try to joke, but it’s really difficult. When they hesitate,…
Sympathetic things to say, and to avoid saying, to someone just surviving
Recently a friend in Texas asked me for advice about how to approach sending a sympathetic note to her dear friends who had been flooded during the recent hurricanes. I knew immediately what she had in mind – she wanted to help or comfort them but really didn’t want to say the wrong thing. “You’ll know just what to do, Elizabeth, since you’ve lost everything before.” I never wanted to be the “disaster girl” or someone who had to become resilient, but she was right. I had some ideas to help her with the note and care package. Following a…
Hope for Recovery with Hurricane Harvey Victims, How You Can Help
That feeling when you have nothing. No toys for your children, just the shoes on your feet and maybe a couple of photos in the car or a computer. No pans to cook dinner in and no stove on which to prepare it. No sense of home or permanence. Thinking of getting through the day is awful, and the word “recovery” seems so hard and distant. And I can imagine what questions are swirling through the minds of those wonderful survivors in Houston with Hurricane Harvey. But I don’t want to leave you feeling alone. Or if you want to…
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