Last week, a fire took out our garage and the side of our house. Thankfully, the firefighters were quick to the scene and were able to get it contained. No one was injured.
In talking with an inspector afterward, he mentioned it was a good thing the firewall held. The firewall–the wall between the garage and the house–had been built specifically to prevent the spread of fire. And in this case, it did its job. The wall itself was damaged, and there was smoke damage throughout the rest of the house, but it kept the fire from consuming the entire structure.
The firewall itself didn’t stop the fire from starting, but it did limit its impact. It’s like insurance. It won’t keep you from having an accident, but it can keep you from going bankrupt. Friends and family can play a similar role. They can’t prevent difficult things from ever happening to you, but they can provide the support you need during those trying times—something we’ve experienced first-hand over the past week.
It’s been over a week now since the fire, and we’re all doing well. We’re thankful it wasn’t worse than it was, and are extraordinarily grateful to all our family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues who have been so generous and supportive during this time.