Saturday morning I was greeted by several inches of water in my home. A finished basement, and two apartments worth of stuff waiting for my adult children to claim were ruined. Countless pieces of children's art and school memorabilia ruined. Christmas ornaments and seasonal decorations ruined.
My first reaction was one of sadness, horror and overwhelm. The loss of things I held dear brought me to tears. The thought of all that needed to be done in a very short time caused anxiety. Yet, only three days later, that sadness has been replaced by gratitude. The overwhelm replaced by a newfound power to "get it done". The stuff of my basement is either drying out or being discarded. This event is putting into motion a necessary purge of the stuff waiting to be claimed or there and not used for many years. And water removal and restoration so quickly fell into place. Friends and family pitched in and offered support. Plumbers and restoration crews went beyond the call of duty to make the space water and mold free. Movers moved the stuff to higher and dryer ground.
The water is gone. The fans are still on. A pile in the basement has become a huge pile in the garage. And the sorting will begin. I am not happy about the flood. But in the midst of this inconvenience choices were made to look for good. Choices were made to support. Choices were made to respond with positivity.
I am grateful for a soon to be dry basement. I am grateful for the support given in the past three days. I am grateful for the pile in my garage that will become smaller with a "stuff" purge. I am grateful that the movers made that pile from floor to ceiling so that I could still park in my garage. Maybe tonight, even if it is only momentary, as I get ready to go to work in the morning, knowing tomorrow will bring snow and cold, and knowing that my parking space is still there--that is something for which I am most grateful.
Thank you to the Two Writing Teachers Community, for your promotion of the March Writers' Challenge. Thank you for giving us a forum for writing and responding to other writers.
You turned a mess into a blessing. I love your positivity! Choosing to see the good didn't do away with the enormous job you had in front of you, but it surely made the load feel a lot lighter. Good luck as you continue your clean up process.
ReplyDeleteI love how you made the choice to change your perspective. It's helpful, but not always easy. Hope the clean up continues and everything is fixed soon!
ReplyDeleteDisaster on the one hand, but opportunity on the other hand. What a positive outlook you took! I've lived through a flooded basement before too, only my husband had a broken ankle and couldn't help at all. Don't want to relive those days. Soon the hum of the drying fans will be a distant memory, I hope. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteYou are a darn good person, Deb. Much love and good luck with sorting... xx
ReplyDeleteOh dear, what a trying time. But it looks as though your life is back to normal...hooray!
ReplyDeleteOh dear, what a trying time. But it looks as though your life is back to normal...hooray!
ReplyDeleteDeb, life always goes on with an attitude of positivity. Your dilemma happened to me during Hurricane Irene. The restoration crews are fabulous. I have had subsequent small incidents that always make me think that purging is good. While it is troublesome being submerged in water and having the dampness around, the gratitude attitude got you through the problem. Good for you to be positive in the face of a dilemma.
ReplyDeleteWow. What a positive spin on such an unfortunate event. So sorry that happened, but wow! Your writing sounds cathartic. You may like the podcasts "The Minimalists" as it seems very fitting with what you had to go through and think about. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWow. What a positive spin on such an unfortunate event. So sorry that happened, but wow! Your writing sounds cathartic. You may like the podcasts "The Minimalists" as it seems very fitting with what you had to go through and think about. Thanks for sharing!
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