It has been almost three months since our world changed. We can almost mark the time in numbers: 1700+ items submitted to insurance, 68 pages detailing our old home, 7 days to remove debris from the lot, 82 thank you cards sent….

Many people have asked “what happens” when you lose everything. The answer is that your community steps up, people help you, and you heal one day at a time. We live in a house secured by our insurance company – a place full of furniture we don’t own and didn’t choose. We visit our property and cut trees, dig for power lines, and get glimpses of the community we had. Most of the time we are fine, we are adjusting to a new normal. Other times it hits like a ton of bricks, as you reach for the coat that is no longer there or remember the family heirlooms you should have grabbed. At these times we can only remind ourselves that we are alive, we are healthy, and there are so many others in this world dealing with much, much more.

I recently went to a meeting lead by the United PolicyHolders (UPH) – a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people understand their insurance benefits and rights following tragedy. Before this happened to us, I did not realize that the vast majority of people are underinsured. Most people (myself included) do not read their full policy until they need it. Others have no policy and must rely on community and government support to dig themselves out of a very bad situation. I want to say to each of you that there is no time like the present to read your policy, ask questions, and ensure you will be adequately covered if the worst happens. There is also no time like the present to prepare for the worst. A little planning can go a long way in a disaster.

While at the UPH meeting, something caught me off guard. The woman who stood before us teared up while she described losing her house to wildfire in 2003. Nine years later and she is still emotional. This struck me since I often wonder how long it will take for us to feel secure again.  Although there is obviously no answer to this question, the kindness we have experienced (and are still experiencing) is helping us to move forward. So thank you to all of you who have sent a note, called, or sent positive thoughts.

Last weekend we stood on our bare mountain lot and marveled at the awesome MilkyWay and the shooting stars that we witnessed. Just another reminder that life is good and we should enjoy it to the fullest extent possible. So, three months later we are are still strong, we are okay, we are grateful.

Those of you who came here hoping to read research, don’t fret – I’ll plan to be back to posting on research very soon.