Minimalism- The Great Flood

Remember that series where I talk about minimalism. I have parts 1 and 2, see below to help jog your memory.

Funny story, but I lost almost everything in a flood this weekend. We had some HVAC guys out to replace our unit and a broken sprinkler, and The Great Flood for 30 minutes destroyed the interior of my house. I was at work when I got the news, and as I curled up in a fetal position, I thought about how hard I had worked to get my house. I prepared to see my house, hopeful it was not as bad as they were saying it might be.

Unfortunately, the site I was greeted with was more than I could have imagined. My whole kitchen roof had fallen in, part of the roof and insulation still falling. Water trickled in places it should never be, including from the brick facade of the outside of my house. I walked through my house, the water squishing with every step, looking at all my personally curated items stacked and destroyed.

I immediately put out a call to my community and was met with over 4 friends willing to answer. Many reached out to ask me if they could feed me; unfortunately, I found that I couldn't think about food. I could only imagine what it would mean to tell my child her newly decorated room would be unlivable for the next 8 months. I walked through slowly, looking for anything to salvage. With the help of friends, we bagged what we could. Most everything in the kitchen was covered in drywall, installation, and whatever was in my attic. The fiberglass was in the air, masks were donned, and we continued to look through everything. As a piece of ceiling fell next to a friend, bounced off the nearby trampoline, and landed on my cracked, waterlogged floors, I realized we were running out of time.

We will be living out of a hotel for the next 8 months, maybe longer, as the house will need to be completely gutted and redone.

I attempted to find humor in the situation. About 75% of our items were being thrown away due to water damage or fiberglass/installation issues. I realized this was the ultimate way to purge and lower the number of items you have. I really was becoming a minimalist. I had made a challenge for myself before The Great Flood. I had grocery bags I had been saving that I wanted to use to help rid myself of my things. Every item I donated or sold went into a bag until all bags were used. I had about 105 bags at the time, and had already gone through about 35 bags. I will happily tell you now that every bag has been used. Minimalism, but hard mode.

The person who made the error hugged me and apologized. I made sure they knew that it would be okay, that at the end of the day, no one was hurt and the house would be okay. Everything else was just stuff...stuff that we spent years intentionally bringing into our lives for one reason or another. Our books that were on the counter that we read daily, like "The Daily Laws" by Robert Greene, were completely eviscerated. I had given this book to my husband for his birthday, complete with little notes in the margins for holidays and days that were important to us. Many of my favorite little items are also completely unable to be salvaged. As I was throwing things away, thinking, as my brain was completely overwhelmed from the events of the day...I realized I was grateful for the people who showed up for me that day. That forgiveness was something I could still give, and be sad that this happened to my family. Everyone was safe, and everything would be okay.

We were more than the items we had bought; we had each other and the love and support of those around us. While I miss my house and my routines, I will find a new normal and continue to be as intentional as possible. I do not wish this on anyone, but I will make the best of this and carry on.