15 Aug 2016

A New Lease on Life

I'm not too sure how to go about talking about this, so here goes. On the night between August 5 and 6, my life changed drastically. Our beloved home was ravaged by a fire. One of my lifelong fears came true, that of being caught in a fire that broke in the middle of the night. We were sound asleep when, out of nowhere, we were both awoken by an unusual sound. I noticed light emanating from the first floor, so I got up to check. That is when I came face to face with a full blaze right outside our patio door. The deck was on fire. The house was flooded in an ominous orange glow. Seconds after discovering the flames, they broke through the glass of the door and the house was almost immediately engulfed in thick black smoke. I returned to the bedroom to grab my dogs and evacuate the place we once called home. Many people had called 911 and the firemen were on site in record time and managed to put out the fire and spare the neighbouring homes. 

We are beyond grateful to all be safe and sound. It's moments like these that put life into perspective. The only things that truly matter are not material. We often overlook or take for granted the simple things like love, health and life. In the end, those are what remain. As devastating as this ordeal is, I'm realizing the power of my inner strength. I never would have discovered that about myself had life not dealt me this hand. I was, to my own astonishment, the calm and rational one in the heat of the moment. I did eventually have my breakdown, but it was after the fact. I needed to externalize my emotions in order to move forward. I first had to live the pain and loss to then be able to deal with the aftermath. 

I definitely consider myself extremely lucky of the outcome because the situation could have been much worse. While the damage is extensive, we realize how fortunate we are compared to those who lose everything. Home is where the heart is. At the risk of sounding shallow, I must say I am sad about my specially curated wardrobe. Seeing as my bedroom, where most of my clothes were, was at the opposite end of the house from the fire, some of it will be salvageable. At this point, I have no idea how much of it will be saved. I know this is entirely meaningless, but it will take me a bit of time to detach from physical things. It's definitely a process. 

I strongly believe this experience will give me strength in ways I never imagined. I am consciously deciding to see the positive in the situation. What's done is done and I can't change the past. All I can do is move forward: life goes on! I have not given up on my blogging dreams. I will continue to blog about style. However, the scope of the blog might vary a little in the following months, until I get back on my feet. I want to show the world that you don't have to give up and give in at the first obstacle. I might have lost many material things, but I have not lost my sense of style, my wit or my positive outlook on life. No fire can destroy those because they are powered by the fire within. I ask that you bear with me while I take on this new chapter in my life. 

Mimi


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