Lessons learned #1: The things you grab

Today is Aly's 18th birthday. Like most parents whose child reaches this milestone, it seems hard to believe. After all, weren't we just 18 a few years ago? But this milestone has even more significance and poignance for us because of our current situation. All day I've had this aching thought in the back of my mind. If things had gone a different way, today would be one of the saddest days of my life and Aly's birthdate would forever more be one full of heartache for us. Instead, we are joyful, and we are celebrating 18 years of sunshine and laughter with our little girl.

In the past when I would read about this happening to another family in the paper, I would momentarily stop and think "What would I grab if that ever happened to us?". Perhaps you've thought that yourself, after sharing in our story - perhaps your great grandmother's wedding ring, or your kids' baby albums. But I now know this: you don't grab anything that does not have a heart beat. For one thing, time is of the essence. For another, it is all so surreal - during those 10 minutes, I really didn't think our house was burning down - until we were standing safely outside, watching the flames consume our material lives. I suspect that other fire survivors have had a similar experience and have come to the same conclusion. I fear that, more often than not, the world has lost those who tried to grab their things.

We may not have our things, but it is crystal clear that we have what matters. And so today is about a joyful celebration of life, and our precious baby girl. Happy 18th, angel!