Thanks Giving

Corey amaro french la vie thanksgiving

 

Home

The comfort of familiarity.

I am thankful for everything in that familiarity.

 

– – –

Our flight path flew over Paradise as smoke billowed and rolled into the valley, the clear sky turned ash gray.

Since we have been home the stories of family, friends, and others who live in Paradise and the surrounding area have been shared. 

Utter lost, courageous acts, enormous guilt, so raw and tangible that the listening heart stretches out like a casted net rendering a tender place to land before falling in the vast void of what will tomorrow bring.

Though with such horrific sadness there are heroes,  living saints and extraordinary kindness from strangers emerging. The surrounding communities have been true to the word… community.

Things can be replaced, homes can be rebuilt, neighborhoods reunited and over time wounds will heal. 

But today it is faith and tears that reweave the torn cloth.

As a friend who lost everything except each other wrote:

"We are focusing on grace instead of grief."

 



Comments

11 responses to “Thanks Giving”

  1. Network news tonight showed huge feedings in Chico of first responders and displaced folks. Celebrity chefs José Andrés and Guy Fieri were among those coordinating the effort (Andrés’ organization did wonders feeding thousands in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria last fall, too).

  2. Thank you for posting your friend’s words about grace and grief. Wisdom that will stay in my thoughts. I also saw the news about José Andrés, a kind man. I know you will enjoy your time with your family. PS – great picture today, with the contrast of the leaves and the black shoes.

  3. Heartbreaking reality that so many are facing…there are no words …..seeing the pictures of the devastation is truly surreal.
    Having you there is a support to all your friends and family and I am sure means the world to them. A listening heart can be the balm one needs to go on….may they find the strength to get through this time

  4. Jennifer Phillipps

    Best wishes to all those affected and those lending a hand and kindness, from far across the sea in New Zealand. It would be nice to know that you had a supreme leader who also knew how to share, help, extend the hand of kindness, actually lead, but that seems to be beyond his skill set…such as it is. I say these things as I am well removed from what you are going through but to our eyes in New Zealand the suffering is compounded by thoughtless words! Stay safe

  5. God bless you all real good. I am so glad you went home to see your family in Northern CA. Your love and support will mean everything to them.
    Love Jeanne

  6. Miss Bunny

    Truly a blessing that you were able to return to your family home in CA. Your readers rejoice that your family was spared the devastating fires. What a terrible tragedy with these fires for California.

  7. Corey, so glad you were able to go home this Thanksgiving. You, your family and your community need to be together after this horrible fire. I hope gentle rains have come or will be coming soon.

  8. Thank you for your poetic words . I have been trying to focus on all the goodness and beauty that can even rise from tragedy. Numbed by the loss, daunted by paperwork, and learning a new way to survive, we are all managing to laugh with friends, hug one another,and celebrate a Thanksgiving of gratefulness and awareness of the true meaning of this day. Clean slate, new beginning, fresh start … seems much better than “lost everything “. What I did lose is a need for a lot of possessions, an obsession with feeling I wasn’t adequate, believing I wasn’t loved, a tendency to judge myself and others too critically. My heart feels softer, my eyes feel brighter and I am enveloped in the hugs, the help and the humbleness of simplicity.

  9. Yesterday as we shared thankfulness at the table I just said I was so sad for those in Paradise, but thankful for my own home. My heart has been so saddened by this fire. I guess because I know four homes that were impacted by it. My cousins home is standing, but she can’t go home and hasn’t been to see her home yet because of the devastation all around her. She will go in next week with the insurance adjuster because there is probably still damage. The tea farmer lost his home, but says his tea is singed but the roots look like they will survive. With a sad heart yesterday someone wanted to send someone a Visa gift card and contacted me for an address. It is these little things that touch our hearts and renews our spirit.

  10. Thinking of you, across the oceans in Australia we have had such devastation through bush fires and loss thereof so our hearts go out to you. So glad the human spirit shines through Marilyn.

  11. Lovely for you to be home with your extended family Corey. Your words are perfect, it must be so hard to pen the ‘right’ thing. When it comes from the heart it resonates.
    Thinking of you.

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