Sometimes we need to have a dramatic experience in our own backyard, to help us understand (in part) of what other people are going through. We had such an experience this last month, while we were vacationing in Great Britain.

I was having a sleepless night in a hotel in England, so I decided to get comfortable on the sofa in our room with my tablet, and do some reading. I didn't want to wake my husband because we had had a busy day of touring in London. But first ... I wondered if there were any emails that I had not read. The most recent one was our nephew (posted 7 mins before I logged in), telling us that the house we built in 1974, and which is next door to our present home is fully engulfed in flames. He's joking, I thought ... and that is not a good thing to joke about. Considering the time difference, his message came about 5 p.m. (home time), so if he was not joking, there may be something on the local news. Sure enough ... there was live reporting, and I recognized the house.

SPRINGBANK HOUSE FIRE

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

Our neighbors, who had purchased the house about 2 years ago, lost everything. We were just getting to know them, and they were beginning to feel right at home in our rural setting. The cause has not been determined, but they were having renovations done to the kitchen. 

It took about a week after we returned home to have any communication with them ... they are so devastated. It is their retirement home, and they still can't bring themselves to come out and see what is left. I keep thinking ... no toothbrush, no dishes, nothing to cook a meal with, so photos, no clothes ... NOTHING! 

Our neighbors put out an appeal for donations ... and the response was overwhelming. It was a demonstration of the caring of neighbors, many who had not met them or even live near their place. Sometimes, gestures of kindness can be very healing, even though we don't really understand what they are going through.

We are hoping that when they rebuild the house, they will be able to live in it ... and still be our neighbors. 

This is what we see when we look out of our kitchen window. There were a lot of happy memories in that house, where we raised our children.

Tags: Friends Fire News