The Watchman

The Watchman

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Milestones

Yesterday was a milestone in our lives - one month since our home burned to the ground. It was marked by another home in the neighborhood catching on fire. While this home was not completely destroyed, it is currently unliveable for the family. Yesterday, I also found out from a friend in Montana, that a few days after our home burned down, a home where my son is serving his mission caught on fire. Again the home was not completely destroyed, but I understand from my friend that it really upset Hunter. I can't help but think how the fire yesterday would have upset the tenuous sense of security my family is regaining if we had rented the home next door to it instead of the home we are living in now. We felt strongly that we should rent our current home, even though it was smaller than the other one. I believe that this conviction that we needed to be here was the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I am glad we listened.

Today we received permission from the insurance company to clear the our lot of the remains of our former home. It should be a very emotional process. We have learned that the insurance adjustor will need to be there to determine that everything that is discarded is not salvageable. We are not sure exactly what this is going to entail, but it doesn't sound pleasant. At first I thought about just having Rick go and be there as an observer, but now I am reconsidering that decision and feel that I need to be there with him. I think he will need the emotional support, if not the comic relief.

It will be a relief to no longer have to look at the remnants of our previous life. I have had many friends tell me how hard it is for them to drive through town and look upon this pile. Because of the location of our home, it was a kind of landmark and was visible throughout many parts of the valley. We have also learned that the City of La Verkin has received complaints regarding the mess. Rest assured, if we could have cleared it sooner, it would be gone. We need to move on.

This milestone has also had me thinking about the other milestones we have had in our family since that day a month ago. I celebrated my 44th birthday; my youngest son, Jon, turned 16 and was ordained a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood of the LDS Church; Hunter reached the one year mark on his mission; and we have lived in La Verkin for six years. In the coming month, Lela will compete in her first swimming championship tournament; Lela will turn nine; my children will go back to school and Wil will start his senior year; my nephew will turn 18 and my parents will celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary.

As my family gathered together this weekend to celebrate Jon's milestones, with all the chaos and drama that go with large family gatherings, I thought of a plaque I have on my wall - "LIFE what lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." The milestones we celebrate commemorate what is most important within us: Love for each other.

2 comments:

  1. Sorry to read about your home. That's on trial I hope I never have to have. Thanks for sharing your story.

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  2. I am glad that they can finally clear away the remains of the home (just couldn't bring myself to refer to it as 'debris'). That means you get to start into the EXCITING part of building up a new home! That part will be lots of fun. I hope all goes well with the adjuster and that process today.

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