Presence or Panic, Lessons From a Fire
The day started out as most do, some quiet time for meditation and to create my day,lots of gratitude for the abundance that I experienceeveryday in friendships and the stuff of life. I noticedI was out of what I normally feed Angel, (my dog), andthought I would grill a couple of pieces of salmon for usto have that day. I started the grill (a propane gas modelwhich is relatively easy to operate) and turned thecontrols to low to allow it to heat. My intuition drew meback into the house to retrieve my phone as I wasexpecting a phone call. My home is an interesting designwith no right angles in the walls. From my office, I cansee through the kitchen and out the door to the deck wherethe grill was and the surrounding trees.
Suddenly, I heard a loudnoise and looked up to see flames on the deck. Then themagic happened! There was no adrenal rush or fear. Justthe observation of fire and the knowing that the propanetank and grill had started a fire. The intention andfocus was clear! Extinguish the fire. It felt like slowmotion and like being the observer of a film. My innerknowing kicked in and had me call 911 to report the fireas I opened the electric gate to my property from thecontrol within the house. (A control which ceased workingdue to the location of the fire shortly after the gateopened.) Then I was guided out one of the many doors ofmy home to the hose near the pool and up the back steps tothe deck which was now engulfed in flames. Three of mypalm trees were burning as well and the fire was nowmoving along the roof line of my home. I turned on thewater and took the hose beginning to wet down whatever wason fire as I awaited the fire department.
Soon, a police officerarrived and took over the hose while I went inside to getAngel out of the house. When I went back indoors, Inoticed that smoke was now being sucked into my home fromthe doorway to the deck. The smoke detectors werealarming. The glass had shattered in the door and thiswas the entry point of lots of smoke. Angel and I made itoutside and the fire department arrived a short timelater. They quickly extinguished the rest of the fire andassessed the damage. Neighbors showed up to make sure wewere all right.
It was such a perfect lessonand as I reflect on the other choices I could have made inthe reactive mode I am amazed at how calmly, peacefullyand perfectly the unfolding of this day has been. Thedamage to my home was minimal compared to what could havebeen if things had unfolded differently. I receivedconfirmation of just how powerful the shifts in myconsciousness have been as a result of this experience.
Two hours after the fire Ilead a tele-class and although I did not feel it was up tomy normal standard, the participants did not seem tonotice. I was able to and continued to be able to hold avision for the perfect solutions to the opportunitiescreated by the fire. I feel so grateful for the manypeople who came to assist us and check on us and for theongoing support I have received from my friends and theinsurance company. I am writing this two weeks after thefire and am truly amazed at what has unfolded!
Most of the damage has beenrepaired with minimal impact to my comfort and minimaldisruption of my surroundings. Angel and I stayed forseveral days at my friend Jill’s hotel, The Lido Palms,while 5 air brushers were cleaning the air in myhome. The hotel guests who were at the hotel at the sametime kept commenting that they could not believe I hadjust experienced a fire of that magnitude. My state ofbeing was not what they expected of someone who hadrecently had an experience like that.
The insurance company workedwith a contractor and except for a bit of emergency workon the electrical systems in that area of the home,everything was coordinated and handled by them. All I hadto do was open the gate to allow the people who wererepairing the damage on to the property. The entire househas been cleaned from floor to ceiling, carpets andupholstery have been cleaned, oriental rugs have gone outto be washed, air conditioning ducts have been cleaned,windows and blinds have been washed, the deck has beenrepaired and the remaining exterior work will be completedon Wednesday.
I have been able to stay ina place of openness, peace, and gratitude and this hasmade all the difference. The point of attraction for theworkers, quality of work and ease of completion has beenextraordinary! I feel very blessed!