Thankful. . .

Yesterday morning when I got to work I saw a co-worker leaving.  That's never a good sign.  Always means that something is wrong.

A bit later I learned why she was heading home.  Her house had caught on fire over the weekend and she needed to take care of things there. 

After work I made the drive across town to check on her.  She wasn't there when I first drove past her house but on the second pass we saw her.  A company was there to do some work to winterize the home (draining the hot water heater and all the pipes so she wouldn't have to worry about them freezing and bursting).  So we stopped to talk for a while.  She asked me if I wanted to see the house.  It was nearly dark but I went in.

Absolutely amazing how fire works.  The home is structurally sound to walk around it. Maybe it was the shadows that made it look so bad?  Or maybe in daylight it looks even worse.  The fire started in the kitchen.  Her cabinets had fallen and the ceiling had come down.  And yet the antique table in the kitchen--not more than 4 feet from where the fire started--was just fine.

She's spent a few nights in the hotel and is in need of everything.  And yet she seems in good spirits and is so thankful for all the help that people have given to her already.

I hate that she has to go through such a headache as this.

But I am thankful she is safe and warm and has the support of so many people.