I have experienced a house fire. I understand all the feelings you are having and mine started when I was not home. I came home to destruction. I had a number of cats at the time and a passerby seeing the smoke kicked in the front door letting my cats out.
And you will come to let that leaf represent your strength as time passes. May seem silly to you now, but it is representative of a beautiful time in your life.
Hard for us that have always had the job of being tough and strong to allow ourselves to just fall apart. Because that is what is normal at a time like this. To fall apart.
We are here for you to remind you it's ok to cry. And to sleep. And to grieve your losses and your friend's losses. My hurt hurts for what you are feeling and experiencing. Please keep us updated as to how you and your family and friend are making it thru this tragic event.
Heart hugs if you accept.
I don't know why but this hit me really hard. Thank you.
The donation drive has found a rat cage for us already. We're going to put our two old men in it since our solo boys come out of their evacuation carriers more often to socialize with us. (If anyone out there knows rats, no we don't choose to keep them separate, our local SPCA gives us the rats that refuse to integrate with other mischiefs because we are home a lot and have the time to spend with them, they usually get 6+ hours a day out with us so they don't get lonely or depressed. We currently have two solos and a bonded pair, all boys). I don't know what we would have done without the evacuation kit we built 2 years ago. It consists of carriers for each animal (bonded boys share) that were kept under the respective cages and tanks (we also have 2 leopard geckos, a bearded dragon, and a hognose snake) and a box of emergency heat pads, extra food dishes and water bottles, and dry food for a week and we kept that in the car. Our pet food store gave us live mealies and more kibble when they found out. They also sent a pallet of dog and cat food to the hotel we're all staying in so when this is all over I don't care if we end up two towns over we are buying all our supplies from them. They're a little one off store run by a pair of sisters.
We live in BC and we're getting a lesson in just why Canadians have the reputation they do. Each of us is being given $150 for clothes and $50 for toiletries. There are victim support, mental health, housing, and income assistance staff in the building most of the day in one of the conference rooms and some random locals have started a donation drive group on Facebook that is organising clothes, shoes, and childcare essentials for now and discussing furniture donation solutions to kick in once we've found housing. Because of the long weekend we're being put up in a hotel (currently closed to anyone except residents and support workers) for 2 weeks and they're giving us three hot meals a day.
They're tracking down a cane for me.
I keep crying every time someone does something nice. I almost wish people were meaner so I could stay angry. I know how to control anger.
Oh yeah, a children's group donated a mountain of chocolate eggs and baskets so the kids from the building are getting an Easter egg hunt in the conference room.
