Gratitude Amid Chaos
My cell phone rang at 5 a.m. I didn’t recognize the number—but I recognized my mom’s voice on the other end of the line.
“There’s been a fire,” she explained. “We’re OK.”
My parents had been staying at their vacation condo in Florida. A neighbor’s porch caught fire early in the morning—and it spread. As the sun rose, residents clad in their pajamas watched as their homes burned.
Ultimately, twenty units were destroyed but no lives were lost. The residents were shaken. In the days that followed, the smell of smoke lingered on their bodies and in the meager possessions they were able to salvage. It was a constant reminder of the terrifying event they had experienced.
“Is there anything we can do?” I asked my parents. It took a few days before they called and accepted my outreach. They needed help with the day-to-day chores of life back home so they could focus on sorting out the extraordinary issues they faced in Florida.
Later, as they reflected on their experience, my parents expressed their appreciation for the sincere offerings of help in response to the news of the fire.
