In the Blink of an Eye, You Can Lose Everything

It has been quite a day.  Actually it has been quite a sad day.
I was rushed this morning–running a little too fast to get some things done.  Edge has a hurt hoof and I had to get him to the Coosa Valley Equine Center by 9:00.  No big deal.  Perfectly doable.
But, a visiting mare showed up this morning.   Yep, she just showed up.  Walked up the dirt road to the house like she owned the place.  🙂  She kind of pranced too.  🙂 She’s a pretty little thing and sweet as a bug.

We thought she belonged to the nearest neighbor, but we weren’t for sure.  We started calling him at about 8:00 to try to find out if he was missing a mare.  🙂

We got her in the corral, but because she was there, Edge made it a little difficult for me to get him, but once I had him, he loaded up into the trailer like he knew he was supposed to go.

Once we got him to the Equine Center, we thought we wouldn’t have to wait long.  But as things sometimes happen, there were others who needed more urgent attention and so we left with the understanding that the vet would be calling me in a little while to come and pick him up.

So we (my nephew and my great nephews were with me) headed back to the house to wait for the phone call.

The next phone call I got wasn’t from the vet, however, but from my nephew, telling me to try to contact my mother to call the neighbor (the one who owns the mare stilled corralled that we haven’t been able to contact).  My nephew was a little breathless.  The neighbor’s house was on fire and already the fire was pretty involved.  I started trying to call Mother and headed toward the house.

By the time I got there, the fire department was already there, but the home was basically gone.  There was a shell with flames coming out of all openings (all glass was gone) and the roof had huge patches with fire escaping.

My nephew had busted the door down and had gotten out 2 dogs and 3 cats.  The house was already in flames when he went in and he couldn’t see or hear any more animals.  We learned later that 3 more cats perished in the fire.

By the time the neighbor and owner of the home arrived, his home was gone.  Nothing left but a charred frame and smoking ruins.  How sad.  My heart is broken for him.  That home was the only home he has ever lived in.  He grew up there with his parents and continued to live in the home after their passing.  Every material possession he owned was there…and everything is gone.

Keepsakes from his parents…gone
His treasured Civil War collection…gone
His clothes…gone
His furniture…gone
His sweet pets…gone

I believe he was in shock and he wasn’t saying much.  He was crying and when he hugged me, he said, “Thank you for being my neighbor.”  My heart broke for him.

Everyone had to clear out of the area so that insurance adjusters and investigators could go into the home.  He had asked my Dad to help him go through some things to see if there was anything that could be salvaged.  Dad didn’t think he could do much, but he stayed.

So, just like that.  Everything you’ve accumulated over a lifetime is gone.  Sad, sad.

So, I asked my nephew, “Do you think the horse knew?  Do you think she was trying to tell us something?”
My nephew laughed at me and told me, “Dudda (nickname), she isn’t a psychic horse”.  I smiled at that.

But isn’t it strange?  I don’t believe in coincidence…everything happens for a reason.

I’m praying for my sweet friend tonight…his pets who made it, the ones who didn’t and his sweet, visiting mare.
Charity