A Fire Starting in My Heart

Just when things were looking on the up and up, there's always something that happens to bring me back to my roots. Lest I forget them. I've lived a rather blessed life to this point and have been lucky not to experience much hardship in life. However, losing my childhood home at 26 sure seems to make up some ground.

My parents home Summer 2010

Last Sunday, May 29, 2011, my parents were on their way home from visiting their cabin in Ruidoso, NM when they found out that their home had been destroyed in a wildfire. They weren't able to see the destruction until the following morning, and I followed 30 hours later. Sadly, I found out about the tragic fire while I was on call at the hospital. Needless to say, that was not my finest hour at work.

My parents home May 30, 2011

Just over a month ago I celebrated the love of my parents that has been going strong for 30 long years. This home was something they started building not five months after they married and moved into about a year and a half after they were married. I spent my entire childhood in the beautiful home until I left for college. Since then it had been my place to recharge--my retreat when life was seemed "too hard". Sadly, that all changed in a just a few hours. There is nothing that can prepare you for walking up on the remains of the place that meant so much to you as a child, and you'd hoped would mean so much to your own children.

Enjoying the pool at my parents' house July 31, 2010

Where I was sitting less than a year ago

There's a huge void in my heart right now. It's sort of hard to find passion about much of anything currently. My parents are in limbo until they find a home to start moving forward, so my heart remains in limbo too.  On the other hand, the outpouring of love from the people in Amarillo to my parents has been tremendous and deeply heartfelt. I can only hope the other families affected by the fires have received the same kind of support in this time of need.