Friday, December 12, 2008

A Little Dose of Fresh Perspective

Last night after I finished my post, I was sitting here feeling a bit sorry for myself with the latest turn of events here. What's it going to mean to getting horses sold this winter if Richard is laid up and I'm taking my own sweet time mending. It seems like every time I think things are moving in a positive direction life jumps up and smacks me a good one, throwing those plans off kilter. Sometimes it's easy to get lost in the clutter along the way instead of appreciating what I have and seeing the bigger picture.

Then I heard fragments of a breaking news story coming over the airways..... a barn fire somewhere in my county. A cold shudder washed over me as I heard the sparse details...........15 horses trapped inside that burning barn.

I think there's no nightmare more terrifying to a horse owner/lover than the thought of precious equines trapped in such a way. Instant visions of torturous flames and screaming animals took over my brain as I sat there in horror and disbelief waiting for more updates. I couldn't help but wonder if this story might be happening to people I knew.

That barn on the television screen burning up before my eyes made it easy for reality to wash over me. .........I have so many things to be thankful for. All these little bumps in the road I've encountered along the way are just that.......little bumps. They keep life interesting and me on my toes.

When I look at the big picture I have been so very very lucky. The tragedy here last night broke the hearts and scattered the dreams of dozens of people. As I watched their story unfold, saw their aching hearts right there in my living room, I couldn't help but wonder what had caused this tragedy and if there wasn't some way I could help this people. I can only imagine what their heart ache must be.

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10 comments:

  1. That's more depressing than a dirty house :(. To lose irreplaceable animals, is just depressing. Even losing the barn is depressing.. don't you think?

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  2. Seeing someone else's tragedy always brings into perspective our own lot in life...you do have a lot to be thankful for but you are also shouldering a lot right now. Take care of yourself.

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  3. Apparently it was a space heater that tipped over, an older one that doesn't have an auto shut off. The barn was stacked to the rafters with hay and all 15 horses inside died of the smoke before the flames even reached them. Even with a heat sensor in the roof, and the fire trucks just a mile away, it was too late to get any out. So sad. Most were 4-H horses. Be careful everyone, especially during these cold nights.

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  4. It does give you a good does doesn't it?

    We all get caught up in our life and worry about what is really 'little' things. Then when something 'big' comes along we stop and go.. Well, now I guess it's all really not so bad.

    We can look back and say well, really it hasn't been all that bad, we dealt with it and went on...

    I don't know how I would deal with something like that. It's awful and horrible and my heart goes out to those owners.

    I'll be out making sure as much as I can, that my little barn is fire proof. It's sad that such an incident will remind us to do so.

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  5. Here's a site that was posted on another blog with info on barn fires and safety
    http://www.firesafetyinbarns.com/

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  6. I know how sometimes we can feel sorry for ourselves and get wrapped up in our own lives. Then something like this happens and we do realize how thankful we should be for all the good things we have. My heart goes out to the poor horses and people involved in this tragedy.

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  7. philipians 4:13.. wow prayers out to you, Richard and those equines..

    Here where i think tis pretty cold.. blowing snow -4 and some dancin' horses when i went out to feed 'em this morning

    gp

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  8. Oh MiKael this is so sad and I am soooo sorry about Richard's fall. I hope he is sensible and lets himself mend properly, and you I am also worrying about, it is not like you to let things get you down. I know the feeling though, everything comes at once. So I am praying for those poor horses in the fire and their people, that has to be one of my biggest fears) and for You and Richard and hoping that things will settle a bit for a while, you deserve a break from all the stress. Life is very confusing sometimes, you wonder how much you are going to be tested and every time it gets harder you wonder why and if you will get through it in one piece. (((((Hugs)))))) Thanks for the e-mail I will reply tomorrow, wanted to today but everything went haywire here too.


    Lori

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  9. I heard the first news clip and I caught my heart in my throat hoping that it wasn't your barn. The details early on were sketchy, I was way beyond heartsick.
    My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones. To hear that many of these horses belonged to young people is even more sad, I sincerely hope that some measure of good can come out of this grief, sorrow and devestation.

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  10. I, too, had heard and read about that horrible barn fire. The thought of house or barn fires makes me cringe, with 7 dogs I don't know that they would all get out and I am certain the 'keets would not last. But the horses? Oh God, please. There are about 30 horses in our barn and the thought of it catching on fire.......*shudder*.

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