smoke signals

life is always changing. things start & stop. sometimes you need to take a step back & just breathe. today was one of those days at my house.
my neighbor's house caught on fire today. they lost everything they own. the fire was apparently started by the heating system. the smoke was not that noticeable at first but has left a lasting impression on all that were here today.
the kids were devastated by the fact their stuff is now gone. the little boy is mortified that they no longer have a television & keeps asking when they will get a new one. the little girl is just lost by the fact they have nothing & no bed to sleep in of their own.
i have never had to experience anything like this so i do not know how they are feeling or what thoughts are going though their minds tonight. i do know how it feels to lose a person & thankfully no loved ones were in the house at the time of the fire.
i spent much of the afternoon talking to people trying to get clothes & diapers for the family. i posted on my facebook asking friends & family for anything they could spare. i was a little shocked by the amount or well lack of comments in response to my post about the days events. people i expected to comment that are always volunteering & helping those in need were nowhere to be found & in their place were people i rarely speak to or never thought would respond. i amazed daily by the people that surround me. people i call friends & people i do not associate with alike are always surprising me.
now let me clear some things up. i am not exactly what you would call friends with my neighbor but i am doing everything i would do if the same thing had happened to my best friend or a family member. i can only hope that the same generosity and kindness would be shown to me if it had been my house smoldering tonight.
the lack of generosity & love for one another in this world astounds me. love thy neighbor as thy self? i may not exactly love my neighbor but in their time of need i can most definetly overlook that fact & treat them with all the compassion i would expect if it were me or my family. now don't get the wrong message from all of this i am not asking you to pat me on the back for being a do gooder or anything like that, i just wish we could all treat each other with the respect & compassion we want to be shown ourselves.

things happen for a reason. i believe this happened because we all needed to remember what it is in life that is truly important. things do not matter they can always be replaced. the people that enrich our lives & give or lives meaning can never be repalced. it is the things that can not be held, the things that can not be burned that, the things that can not be changed the elements that make life truly worth while.