Grateful beyond measure


If you've ever gone through the experience of having your home suddenly uninhabitable and having to pack up and move to a hotel then you will understand the emotional roller coaster that I have been on lately.  Recently my condo had a plumbing issue in the wee hours of the morning.  As water gushed throughout my first floor I slept peacefully upstairs unaware until my alarms went off at 5 am.   I had not set my alarms so I was initially annoyed they went off but when I heard the water I rushed downstairs.  After finding the shutoff valve for my water I quickly assessed the situation and that is when despair and anger set in.   I had a half inch of water on my floor and had to deal with it as quickly as I could.   After a few hours I finally sat down to rest and cry while submitting an insurance claim.   I called a friend who dealt with this type of situation for his job and he came over to tell me that everything would be handled and things would be okay.  He quickly assessed the situation and made a few phone calls then looked at me and gave me a hug while telling me everything would be okay.  I was no longer angry but was rather depressed for the rest of the day as I continued to save what I could and the restoration company started the demolishing of the flooring.  Throughout the weekend I felt depression and anger waves hit me hard but I also knew that there was a reason why this had happened and I trusted in that. 


On Sunday I finally found a hotel that I could live at for the next few weeks and packed up and moved in.  Hotels are great for vacations but when it comes to knowing that you are living in one permanently for a few weeks they are quite depressing.   As the first week rolled by I realized that there are so many people that cared about how I was and reminded me that things can be replaced but I cannot.   Emotionally I was all over the place still but I knew it would settle down and that things would be okay.  I admit it took me a little over a week to register all my emotions and deal with them but I think I have done it.  On Monday of week two I was at work and completely exhausted because not everyone in the hotel is quiet and it was wearing on me.  My manager sent me home to get some sleep which I desperately needed.   When I woke up at 4 am the next morning to the sounds of a hotel neighbor banging doors as he prepared for the day, I sat up in bed and looked around.  I was definitely refreshed from the sleep but I was also at peace which seemed odd.   After my neighbor left for the morning I meditated in the quiet hotel room for 20 minutes (which is something I hadn't done since everything happened).  During my meditation I saw my condo fully restored and myself laughing with friends around my kitchen table.  It gave me a sense of peace that I hadn't had in a while and for that I am thankful.  As I got ready for the day I made another realization, I was okay (for the most part) with living out of a suitcase.  Everything I had packed fit into one large suitcase and I wasn't wanting for anything.  This left me thinking about how much stuff I have at home and how I need to minimize even more.  The majority of what I have at home relates to my spiritual work and I was thankful I was able to save it from the water. 


 As the adventure continues I will undoubtedly find more peace with the situation but I have definitely been blessed.  I have been lucky that I didn't electrocute myself by pulling electrical cords out of the water and unplugging them - no I wasn't thinking at that moment.  I have been fortunate to have good friends and family who have offered to let me invade their space while things are progressing.  I have been fortunate enough to have a friend who works in the restoration business and was able to make things happen quickly.  I have been lucky enough to have a manager that understands and cares about his employees and teammates who are understanding when I run out to take care of something.  I have been blessed by so many things and am grateful for each one of them.  As things progress I am confident that everything will be okay and turn out better than they were before. 



Gratefully yours

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