Fire list.

Most people who know me know that I’m agnostic. I have a science mind. I believe proof. If you can prove to me that Santa Clause is real, I will believe it. I believed in Santa Clause when I was a child, but I stopped a long time ago. For the same reason, I do not believe in a higher being.

Show me proof! Show me the REINDEER! Show me the bunny that lays Easter Eggs! Show me the pot at the end of the rainbow.

SHOOOOOOWWWW MEEEEEEEEEE THE MONNNNEEEEEEEEYYYYYYY!!!!!

Sorry, I got carried away.

So most people who know me would probably be really surprised to know that these two things below are two of my most prized possessions in the world.

Faith.

One is a Bible given to me by one of the most amazing women I’ve ever had the honor of knowing. It was a Christmas present. Less than a year later she was gone forever.

After her funeral I collected all the funeral programs I had and tucked them in there. Since then I’ve added a few more. One for her husband, Gerald. One for Julie’s amazing father.

I still look to this book every once in awhile because while I think a lot of it is bullshit diatribe, I think if you look to it with the right perspective and in the the right light, it can be a good source of wisdom.

The Rosary was a gift from my dad and step-mom when I was in high school. It’s made out of rosewood and smells DIVINE. As good now as it did the day I got it. I remember in my private Catholic school learning about the mysteries of the Rosary. I remember how I hated that class even though I found the study of religion somewhat fascinating. I remember how EASY life was back then even though in my 16 year old mind I was certain that life would NEVER BE MORE COMPLICATED THAN IT IS RIGHT NOW.

When I see it now, I remember to take a deep rose scented breath and that no matter what, life could be harder, life could be easier, but life is just life. It’s never so bad that you can’t handle it.

Everybody has their “fire list”. What would you grab out of your house if you had 1 minute. And yes, my cell phone and my laptop are on that list, so are my favorite clothes and my camera but just above all of those other possessions are these two things. With these two things I will always remember where I’ve been, who came before me and that the future is always out there in front of you, full of promise and more people to love you along the way.

4 thoughts on “Fire list.

  1. My blanket, My jewelry, Rustys ashes, and my photos and thumb drives and important papers. Those are all the things I grabbed when we prepared to evacuate the 2007 fires.

  2. Aside from the basics — animals, phone, safe — I would grab the painting my stepmom did for me and my husband. Before she was diagnosed with cancer, she replicated a photo from our wedding. It’s nothing fancy or professional but it’s one of the most important things I own. I would probably try to have my husband grab the one-of-a-kind custom portrait my SIL had done for our wedding (it’s us as Superman and Lois on the cover of a vintage-style comic book… so awesome!) and maybe one or two other special things hanging on our walls.

    Also, I do enjoy reading the Bible from time to time. Probably blasphemous to some but I view them more as fables: stories to illustrate a point, not necessarily a direct guide to being “good.” And some of them are just stories. There’s something to be gained from reading the stories though; what that is is entirely dependent upon how you read them.

  3. I’ve gotta say, aside from electronics and papers (passport, camera, harddrives with photos), the only thing in my room I REALLY value is my Tiffany necklace from Corey.

    I think I might also grab my new sleeping bag. I love that thing, lol.

    I’ve never really smelled rosewood. It’s awesome to have a smell to associate with a “happy place” memory. I can only imagine the calm it must bring you.

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