It feels kind of strange to say I am grateful that my house caught on fire, but in some twisted way, I am. Yes, it was bad. Very bad. It changed everything about my life instantly, and I would never want to relive it. But it helped me see the important things in life.
Prior to the fire, I felt alone. Isolated. After the fire, I know that couldn’t be further from the truth.
I have a tribe. A tribe of fiercely loyal human beings with the biggest hearts you could ever ask for. The kind of people that drop everything to help you. The ones that hold you up when you don’t have the strength to stand, and say, “We’ve got you.”
Of course, there is my mom, my rock. For the past five months, she has dropped everything and picked up the phone every time I have called. She has talked me off of more ledges than I care to remember.
What I didn’t realize is how my friends, my agility community, my neighbors, and my Prunedale family would show up… literally!
Kerry, my neighbor that works for the fire department, heard the call come in and left work to come home and help me. She spent the day cleaning kennels and doing laundry for me.
Sally, my neighbor up the street worked right alongside of her. She also took loads of laundry home so that I had clothes to wear and blankets for the dogs and myself.
When I didn’t answer Carol’s text, she just got in the car and came over. Jumping in to do whatever was needed.
Gwen and George, people who knew all too well what I was going through, loaded up the car with supplies they thought I would need and a care package from my friend, Jill, that included comfort food for me and treats for the dogs.
It was the big things.. and the little things… that made all the difference in the world.
It was the cup of coffee dropped off on the railing by Deb at 6:00 in the morning. It was Nicole coming to sit in my driveway to keep an eye on the garage so that I could go to the neighbors and take a shower without panicking about my dogs.
It was Chrys, Craig, Kathy, and Sally that came the day the trailer was delivered and spent the day helping me set up, running to the store to grab whatever was needed, and getting the dogs moved in.
It was Robin who would not only check in on my every single day and show up if I didn’t respond, but who called from the store every time she went to see what was on my “Need” list.
It was my cousin, Julie, that set up a Go Fund Me page so that I didn’t have to worry about working for the first couple of weeks while I was trying to wrap my brain around everything. And all the people that donated to it, making things easier financially.
And Debbie at the local storage place in town who coordinated donations to be dropped off there.
It was all my friends that sent “Doggie Care Packages” so that the dogs had enrichment activities and toys.
And the outpouring from people in the community that I didn’t even know… Neighbors stopping by to drop off hot meals.
My sweet neighbor, Jodi, has opened her home to me for the past five months as a place to shower and do laundry while she is at work.
This is my tribe.
So many wonderful people! I know I have left out some of them, and for that I am sorry. There is just too many to name in one post, but every single one of them holds a special place in my heart. I will spend the rest of my life trying to pay their kindness forward.
-Tiffanie
#farmgirltough
