FIRE

Surely, you've all read about the fires burning outside of Los Alamos, NM?

The thing about news stories is that they give you abstract information...so many acres burned, so many structures destroyed, such and such percentage contained blah blah blah.  What they don't tell you is this:

My best friend evacuated Sunday night.  With her not quite 2 year old daughter, her 72 hour kit, her family pictures and documents and a couple of family heirlooms.  What they don't tell you is that this is hardly her first experience in difficulty.  What they don't mention is that, for people who have very little, what they have is incredibly valuable to them.  And they really don't mention that the fire is turning to ashes the possessions of the most amazing of women.

And yes, we're all grateful.  We're grateful that she and her little family are safe and out of harms way.  But it doesn't lessen the worry of What Happens After...   It doesn't lessen the grief at her loss.  It doesn't lessen the frustration of being powerless to do anything about it at all.

And I think what's so hard is the knowledge that behind all of these stories, the floods, the tornadoes, the earthquakes, hurricanes and fires...there are thousands of Best Friends evacuated, all belonging to Someone.

For now, I'm thinking about my Samwise.