Having never been in a fire myself, I come at this article as an outsider who has never had to endure what has to be a very difficult time for a family, young or old.  You see, I woke up today to learn that a member of my family lost their home at the hands of the devastating fire in Black Forest, Colorado. 

It got me to thinking;  What do I cherish?  What would I miss?  Where are my clothes?  All of these basic elements of life that we take for granted.  Little things like your vehicle to get to a job and, oh right, whether you still have a job to go to.  I mean it has to be difficult to focus on work when you aren't exactly sure where your toothbrush is. 



For children, it's different.  They know all about fire, or about what they are told at the very least.  It's dangerous, don't play with it.  We never really get the chance to show them the consequences of reckless actions.  But what happens when your house burns to the ground?  And your friends house, and the grocery store, their school and so on and so on?  Where do you turn?  Sure, there are plenty of relief organizations that readily help in the short term, but it's the long term mental image of your property and possessions going up in smoke that has to just crush even the strongest willed among us.

At a time like this it is difficult for me, an optimist, to find the positives in a situation.  We know that forest fires are good for the sustainability of our forests.  They are naturally occurring events that are supposed to happen every few decades.  Living here in Colorado, which is one of the hardest hit states for forest fire activity, we regrettably take for granted that every year there will be a bunch of fires in our picturesque mountains.  My question is - what happens after the few days and weeks where everyone feels so sorry for you?  When you are living with relatives and fighting insurance companies.  Or calling a cheap motel home because the big insurance company just can't afford to pay for nicer quarters? 

Fortunately, I don't know.  I've never been there.  The sad reality is, now I get to find out what it is really like for those who lose everything.  In Colorado, It's easy to see the absolute destruction of fires from years gone by.  You needonly take a short drive through the majestic peaks to get a glimpse of the charred landscape and for sale signs offering land for pennies on the dollar. 

You hear the words "rebuild, get by, and it's going to be okay."  The question is, is it really okay for a child?  We as adults know that people hardly ever actually die in forest fires.  What little warning we have of their impending doom is usually enough to get us out in time.  But what do you come back to?  Oh, and where is that toothbrush anyway?