fire |ˈfʌɪə|noun [ mass noun ]1 a process in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke; combustion or burning: her house was destroyed by fire.
Nearly 23 years ago, our family home caught on fire and we experienced homelessness first hand, along with the fear of not knowing if we would ever have a home again. Although never homeless, that season of temporary homelessness as a child gave me an incredible compassion for the homeless who struggle to find shelter.
I shared this story when I spoke at SoupMobile a few months ago, and wanted to share it with you today. It is an important part of my journey and a miraculous moment that changed my heart forever.
I remember it like it was yesterday. My older sister was having her first baby, Jose Luis, at the hospital, and my mom left my younger brother and me at home with our Grandma to wait for our new little nephew. My brother, Chris, had a bad dream that night and ran, crying, up to my 2nd floor bedroom to wake me up. I comforted him the best that I could and put him back to sleep downstairs. About an hour later, he had another bad dream and was back up in my room, crying again. I decided to go sleep with him downstairs in my mom’s bedroom so he would be able to sleep. About 30 minutes later, lightning struck the chimney, causing a fire to start upstairs above my bedroom.
The fire spread throughout our home, but we were able to get out safely. We called 911 and my mom at the hospital, but by the time the fire department came we lost pretty much everything.
It’s miraculous to me to look back at that moment when I realize that I wouldn’t have been able to use the stairs that night after the lightning struck, because that was where the majority of the fire was. The rooms upstairs were affected most–and that’s where I was sleeping.
After the fire, we went to live with my grandparents for a while, and then rented a small apartment for almost a year while our home was being repaired. Our clothes reeked with the scent of smoke, and we had to wear them to school for weeks before we could get anything new. I remember the fear, anguish and emotional stress that came with not having a home, and I never wanted to be in that place again.
As I look back at the pictures from that time I can’t help but think about the legacy that my husband and I dream of leaving our children. Growing up, I didn’t have all the luxuries my children have today. My family wasn’t wealthy. We had to earn everything. My mom worked full time, provided for our family, went to grad school and still made it to all of our sporting events. She made single motherhood look easy. I want to be a role model for my children the same way my mom was for me. Hard work, dedication and commitment to something bigger than ourselves was all I ever saw from my mother. I want to pass that kind of legacy on to my children. My husband and I are aware of how incredibly blessed we are, and I don’t necessarily have to work–but I want to work because I want to instill these same values in my children.
Our children are growing up more affluently than we did, so we have to be proactive about ways that can connect them and expose them to the realities of life. We have to ask ourselves what we can do as parents that can help our kids connect with the feelings of those less fortunate than they are. I don’t have to work and I know that. Being a mom to 2 toddlers is not the easiest job, but it is the most fulfilling.
I will never lose sight of that traumatic feeling from that house fire. I have never lost sight of losing everything and having to start from square one. So many people are one paycheck away from losing it all and I know how that feels. I want to use my treasures to bless the world–my gifts, my time and my resources. I want my children to grow up seeing that for themselves.
That fire has reminded me to never lose sight of how quickly we could lose it all. I will never forget March 12, 1993 and I will make sure to use that experience to better the lives of those I come in contact with.
If you would like to help the homeless in your community, I encourage you to give or get involved with SoupMobile Dallas to make a difference in the lives of those who are less fortunate than we are.
XO-
Sabrina