Slow Return to Normalcy

We just received news that 20 staff and over 340 students in the Poway school district have lost their homes. Staggering news. In order to get the community back into normal routines, they have canceled the half week off school next week for Parent/Teacher conferences. Guess it’s a good thing we hadn’t planned a trip that long weekend.

I did manage to write in my journal yesterday and today. I was far too stressed to think about doing it on Monday as we scrambled from shelter to shelter. Once we were in Anaheim, we were too focused on what was happening back in San Diego and keeping the kids entertained. I barely made any progress in the paperback that had been tucked into my purse.

It was interesting to note that after we got back home Thursday, unpacked the car and began to settle back in I began to feel uneasy and felt the urge to journal again. I managed to write over 1,100 words while DH picked up dinner last night and I wrote another 1,000 today. I’m still having trouble sitting still long enough to pin down some particulars for reworking the story from earlier in the month.

Some words come easier than others, but I’m thankful our home was spared, unlike so many nearby. I’m also relieved that the view from that patio isn’t as devasting as I feared after watching the news. As bad as it is, it could have been so much worse.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those involved with fighting these fires, those affected by these fires, and those who support their neighbors in the awful aftermath.