Hope

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to be part of one of my first disaster relief experiences. While the conservation element of ERT has it's upsides-- being outdoors, felling trees, communing with nature-- I was ready to get on a project that connected me more with people than with trees.

That opportunity came in the form of a house burnout on the outskirts of St. Louis. Apparently, an electrical fire had started in the basement of an elderly lady's house one night. In slippers and a night-gown, she and the other residents escaped safely and soon had the response of the local fire department. With luck and the skill of the fire department, the structure was saved, but most of the possessions in the house were permanently damaged by smoke.

Our team came into the picture about a month afterward. The daughter of the owner had gotten in touch with us through the Red Cross, one of our regular partners. We had helped her organize a dumpster to be delivered to her house, and a pair of storage pods were donated through the generosity of her church group. On the day we showed up, it was the first time that she had entered the house since the fire, and it was a bit of an emotional moment.

As we sifted through the salvageable belongings and those that the daughter decided to throw away, I was incredibly impressed by her character. She was surprisingly upbeat doing a task that tugged on anyone's heartstrings, even us as outside observers. Putting old pictures, shoes, and books into boxes and others into garbage bags made me think of how much of the things that seem to make up life actually are 'things'. Not that the most valuable things are material, but many of our important memories are held in conjunction with the 'things' that went along with them.

The daughter was able to see the flip side of that coin. Rather than focus on the loss of the old things, she saw the positive of the situation. It was an opportunity to make a new start-- save what important and to get rid of what wasn't. Instead of focusing on the heartbreak she focused on the hope of the situation. She was filled with gratitude for our help and the help of her church. She knew that life wasn't going to be easy, but she and her family would get through it. Her strength was an inspiration that will stick with me this year and beyond.