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We also lost our house in ''88 to a house fire. It was struck by lightening right through my sisters window. If we had been home she would not be with us today. We were fortunate that our mom took us to church that night. I still remember one of my friends coming up to a couple of us kids and saying some bodies house just burned down. And for some reason I spoke up and said that would be really strange if it was ours. I don't know what possessed me to say it, but my grandma (actually she wasn't my real grandma, but an elder of the church we were really close to that my sisters and I called grandma) was right near by and heard me. When we got in the car for her to take us home, or so we though, she said she had something to tell us and I just knew right then it was our house and started bawling. Of course, I was probably most concerned about our animals that were at home. Our mom had to leave church early so our grandma was taking us home, but we were told she was called into work for an emergency or something. I guess they did this to not upset us during the sermon since she had to leave early, but it was actually because of the fire.
We lost everything, even our family pictures. Well just about everything, there were a couple of things that were salvaged, like the piano that my grandma and her family brought over from Germany and the animals (except the fish, they were a little boiled) made it out all right. Our dog, a boxer named Kiwi, was carried out of the house by a fireman which a local photographer took this picture and put it in our local paper. But we lost pretty much everything else, all clothes, toys, pictures, and most of the furniture. I was in fourth/fifth grade at the time and my mom was a single mom. But thankfully we did attend a good church and the whole congregation came together and helped my mom out a lot. We stayed in a house that was owned by the church until my mom was able to get back up on her feet again and find us a new house. I still to this day remember that Christmas, it was for a child one of the largest Christmas's ever. So many kind people bought us new clothes and shoes and some toys for us for Christmas to help us replace everything we had lost. I wish I had known who all the things had come from so that I could have thanked them, but they kept it all very confidential. Maybe my mom knew I am not sure. But it was nice to know we had so many people around that cared and wanted to help us out, I know my mom was extremely grateful and cried each time we opened a present.
One of the funniest things that happened while the house was burning - one of the neighbor boys, a couple of years older than my girls, started crying pitifully. I asked him what was wrong (it was my house that was burning, not his so I couldn't imagine what could have upset him so) and he replied, "They lost all their toys, didn't they?" Poor, sweet kid. The girls didn't give a hoot in holler that they lost their old toys - they were excited about getting new ones!
Oh that is so sweet of him though to be concerned for your daughters. That makes me smile! Kids can say the darnest of things.
Hoping a good year for all of you!
