Lost everything in the Lahaina fire.

thanks dear Debbie, I prefer the fictionalization. Its more therapeutic. I embrace the Dharma naturally, so, I suppose all these things around me don't feel like they ever belonged to me. The body: star dusk on loan from the 'stuff that dreams are made of'.

Uhane said:

I have lost everything - so far - 5 times.

Wow!

I think you may need to write a biography/novel (if you haven't already).

You appear to have had an eventful life.

Uhane said:

Stuff can always be got again. People live in the heart. All is renewal

Bex said:

Fast forward to now and I'm in my own place again and I've got my little boy and I am happy. Where I am feels like home again, and I've got new items that I treasure and love. 

I was very sad to read your story but glad to read the above.

Wishing you much happiness going forward.

Dearest Debbie, As I just wrote to Bex, things can be got again. the world has a surfeit of stuff. I am enjoying the world as "intrepid dharma bum" on the loose for now. Light as air.

thanks Bex. Kind words.  I have lost everything - so far - 5 times. The first time for me was when I was about 13. It always feels like a mix of annoyance and ecstasy at being freed from all the ties that bind. Stuff can always be got again. People live in the heart. All is renewal.

I am truly sorry for what you have been through and I hope that you're in a better place now and are in the position to start rebuilding your life and making a fresh start. 

This happened to me when I was in my late teens. Funny enough it was an autistic person but very unstable mentally and she set fire to our garage but it spread to the house and we lost everything, absolutely everything perished except for me and my family. I had a lovely collection of books but they all went up with the house. At the time I felt so sad, felt like how could this happen and remember feeling I would never get through what happened.

Fast forward to now and I'm in my own place again and I've got my little boy and I am happy. Where I am feels like home again, and I've got new items that I treasure and love. 

I hope things are improved and continue to improve for you now. 

Thinking of you, wishing you all the best. Bex x.

I just wanted to say Uhane that I think your resilience and 'cup half full' attitude over this is inspiring.

I know some of what you have lost and I think I'd be still feeling pretty hollowed out.

I wish you many many good things in your life going forwards.

How are things for you now?

I don't really know what to say as it's unimaginable. I'm sure I speak for others when I say we are thinking of you and thankful you are safe. If we can offer support in any way, please let us know.

I'm so sorry to read this. My heart goes out to you and your loved ones - my family and I lost everything during floods in 2012, I relate to some degree and wanted to say that it does get better though I know it won't feel like it right this second..

Keep the faith and please message us here if you any support. I'm thinking of you.

I am so very sorry to read this.

I can't imagine being in your shoes and having to start again. 

I was following the devastating fires on the news.

My love to you and all who are suffering with you.

Please come back to here if we can be of support. 

X

Sorry to hear if this trauma.

I am myself an artist and, my first thought (after the initial empathy for your situation) is of rebirth. I think of this as an opportunity to start over, to paint a new picture of what you want life to be. Taking the positive out if it by appreciating how fleeting life is, this has been spelt out for you in no uncertain terms.

I wish you luck and good fortune from here on out.

Start again, make work about it, process your emotions into new work that communicates these emotions, and make money from the sale of it

Best of luck

Uhane said:

I think I will concentrate on writing sci stories for the foreseeable...

Sometimes it is the strange "head space" that we find outself in that lets us create our most imaginative art.

Take the pain, the alienation, the loss and the "adrift-ness" and channel these into your art. It will help you process your feelings and may create some work that you didn't realise you had in you.

Wishing you good things from here on forward!

thank you. yes, it will become a new normal of some kind.

I had no insurance and live on disability and the US FEMA and red cross etal have been quite generous. I am allowed to ask for even more than they gave me and have to come up with a list of items and prices. There is so much to do and new hurdles everyday.

I do feel like lingering in that euphoria for awhile longer and let settle the dust of change.

that feels like the best for now.

I found some colored pencils and some old sketch pads in the donation table and I took them but they seem strange and alien.

I think I will concentrate on writing sci stories for the foreseeable...

thanks for your thoughts! much appreciated.

Uhane said:

Lost everything

You have your life - everything else is just stuff.

I can imagine it is a very upsetting time with so much radical change, but the one thing you can try to take as a positive is that it is a great opportunity to build your life back in the way you want it to be.

Hopefully insurance will cover the costs of what you lost and you can get back to building anew.

If you get a new place then you can make space for your art workshop for example and begin creating a portfolio again. Draw on your experiences and channel these into the work.

For now it is just a temporary accommodation and it is likely to keep doing what it is doing - maybe leave a note for room service not to move the most important things around and accept that you are swimming in ever changing currents there - just allow yourself to go with the flow and keep your safe space inside your own mind.

It will pass and a new day will come - until then we are here for you.

Good luck.