Gone

This morning, I spoke to my friend Ann. She and her husband Jon live in Pacific Palisades, CA, an area currently being entirely wiped out by very unexpected fires. I texted her to find out if they were OK and she called me back. We usually just text each other back and forth. Not today. She called and started sobbing. The home that they lived in for 25+ years is likely gone. She said they were receiving messages from their alarm company that there was activity at their window and then activity inside the house...They realized quickly that the activity was the fire. 

I want to tell you about my friendship with Ann. She's one of the people that I met online. We followed each other on Twitter (back when it was a lovely community forum.) We instantly connected and eventually became real friends. And yes, we've met in person - three times! My daughter and I have had breakfast with her, she and Jon came to my son's play in LA and they also came to our house for dinner when they visited Wisconsin a couple of years ago. She's just a super genuine, intelligent and funny person that I adore. 

I've rarely felt this helpless. I told her that I don't have any adequate words to express my empathy. Yes, she and her husband are safe, but how do you start over after 25+ years? Where do you even begin? How do you have faith in the world? 

Say some prayers for the people of California tonight. Yes, there are celebrities that have lots of money and many homes, but there are also salt-of-the-earth people like Ann & Jon who are about to have the worst year of their life. 😔

*The photo above is from a video taken this afternoon in Ann & Jon's neighborhood. Their house, or what's left of it, is two blocks away.