:: and this i know ::

For those suffering through the fires in Glendora, CA (or who have suffered others):

1.  Please feel free to break down.  If you do not want to do this in front of others, do it whenever you can find a private space.  Trust me, the release will be needed.

2.  People will surprise you.  There is no way my family and I could have made it through the days, weeks, months after the fire without the kindness of friends and family.  Seriously, I knew beforehand but this ordeal confirmed that I truly have the most amazing friends in the world – from those who gave a sympathetic ear to those who gave items to live.

3.  People will disappoint you.  It is shocking to realize that individuals who you assumed would be there to be understanding are just too full of themselves to consider what you are going through.  I actually had someone complain about my not adding her to a social network site.  This after losing everything that I owned except for what I took to work that day.  Sure, I will get right on finding a computer to add you because that is the most important thing to do instead of trying to salvage any part of my life that I can.

4.  The smell of smoke will haunt you for quite some time.  I still panic when I smell smoke coming in from an open window, even if it is merely due to someone smoking a cigarette nearby.

5.  In some circumstances, life will become B(efore)F(ire) and A(fter)F(ire). There will be moments where you find yourself unsure if you own certain things. People may assume that you are an idiot for not remembering if you own a book, for example, but seriously it becomes difficult to remember some of the items that were lost. When this happens, it is okay to be upset about what you have lost.

BONUS: Try to laugh whenever possible, and see any objects that you may find (photos, especially) as being a gift.

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