Just read your heart-stopping story and am so sorry to hear what happened to your home. What a terrible thing to return to - but I too thought it might end in tragic news that one of your family was ill or hurt or worse. I'm hoping you have found another place to live and can only imagine what a horror starting over is going to be! And probably without a lot of funds that you had to spend on your trip to India. And I know how overly simplistic this sounds but even if you cannot get another dog and have to live on nothing but Ramen noodles, you still have all that really matters in any life - your family. They are alive, safe and doing well and love you.
Think what could have happened had you been home and sleeping during the fire and maybe couldn't get out early enough - fell trying to escape and broke your leg or something and no one got to you in time before the floor beneath you collapsed down into a pit of fire. Your family would be lost without you! Think if instead of losing your apartment, one of your family had gotten badly ill or injured or worse. As bad as losing our possessions is - and I'm not belittling that at all - I'm so glad that all of you are alive and well and still have each other! Hopefully friends and family can rally around and supply you with copies of pictures, help you with furniture and some things to start over. Even if not and you can't replace pictures, replicate mementos and you live in one room with only a hot plate, I'd say you still have all that truly matters in life left. But I am so sorry that you came home to this nightmare. I'll sure be hoping and praying for you as you start all over.
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__________________  Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis |