Losses, Necessary and Not

So, while we were in New York City attending my yoga teacher training graduation, part of our house caught fire and burned down.

Well, okay, it wasn't really our HOUSE, but it sounds really dramatic to say it that way.  It was actually our bar-b-que pit area.

And it wasn't actually OUR house, but the house we are renting.

Still, it was a really dramatic and unsettling end to a wonderful day.

Before:

After:

As you can see, it could have been much, much worse.  And we have insurance (can't say enough about the importance of having renter's insurance.) 

Our landlords are just...so incredible.  Get this, we were in New York City for the graduation. I took a yoga class with Sri Dharma Mittra before the graduation ceremony, while Coop took the girls to the Natural History Museum.  When I got out of class, I had several texts and voice-mails, including one from my landlord that said, "Call me ASAP."  When I texted back, he said it was nothing important and to enjoy my day.  So I texted my husband who said that he'd talked to our landlord and not to worry, everything was fine.

The two of them had colluded so that nothing would spoil my day!  Isn't that amazing and thoughtful and sweet??

Unfortunately, there was a voice mail from the Fire Chief of our village that told me our cabana was on fire. 

Which...I just...  Y'all, I FREAKED THE FRAK OUT.

A screen-capture of my text messages to my spouse:

You can tell I'm distraught by the missing apostrophe on Scout's name.  (As it turns out, there was no poop. Thank goodness Coop had run the dogs that morning and Scout was relatively calm.)

Anyway, it's been a few weeks and Coop and I are beginning to not see everything as a fire hazard anymore.  Our beloved Elmer came and did a lot of clean-up, Coop and our landlords have been dealing with the insurance claim and our landlords even arranged for a new grill for us to use while the other one is being replaced. We've used it and nothing has caught fire.  Life is returning to normal.

Well, you know, as normal as things get, given that we are moving back to Texas and are in the process of saying goodbye and wrapping things up. It seems that my heart is perpetually sore as we do things for the last time.  Yesterday, Katherine took her last final and I found myself choked up as we walked out of the school for the last time.  That school has been such a blessing for us.  It was very, very hard to say goodbye --so hard, in fact, that I couldn't bring myself to say that word to the founder of the school on the last day. "We'll keep in touch," I said. 

I hope we will.

Goodbyes are tricky, though.  When we moved from Austin to New York, several of my good friends just, kind of...disappeared from our lives during those last few months. At the time, I remember being hurt.  But the same thing is happening up here as we prepare to move back to Texas --people I've considered close friends have retreated. One of my friends even broke up with me on Facebook.  (Gasp!) 

Part of this is probably due to my own frantically busy schedule as we try to fit everything in in this last month before we go.  (Hold on. Hold on a second. Have to put my head between my knees as I contemplate that the move is in a MONTH.) We had my graduation, the unscheduled fire, my mother-in-law's visit, Kath's School of Rock shows (they deserve their own post), the awards ceremony for the school (both Cooper girls brought home various trophies), Kath's graduation from ninth grade, finals, teaching yoga (still teaching through the end of June,) trying to get bids from movers, and oh, yeah, finding and buying a new house in Austin (pictures soon, I promise.)

I've been a little scarce.

So, I understand.  I really do.  It is easier to cut ties than to say goodbye. I get it.  

But I just want to say...even when I'm not here physically, I am HERE for you.  And the door to my house, in whatever city it happens to be, is always open to you. I mean it. 

(Just be a little careful walking in, given that Scout is a little jumpy.)