More Adversity for Dianne

Yesterday afternoon things just felt off. Concentration was a major chore. I just wasn’t myself and even told Carol so when she got home. I thought maybe it was the March Equinox pulling my fragile psyche all over the place. Perhaps this case of the wonkies was being caused by Mercury’s being in retrograde as Carol mentioned. At 6:00 pm I got my answer. The phone rang and call display said the area code was 902, Nova Scotia. Immediately my heart sank. Something was wrong. I answered the phone and it was Andrea, my half-brother JP’s wife. First she asked me if I had been to Phil my other 1/2 brother’s blog. I said no. She then assured me that everything was okay and proceeded to tell me that Dianne, my birthmom’s home had burned down just hours earlier. She’s lost pretty much everything including one of her cats. Scamp, the bad one, is okay but poor Bobbie the cute bobbleheaded kitty didn’t get out. Andrea then told me the phone number for where Dianne was staying and I hung up and called immediately.

Dianne was in shock and distraught but able to crack a few jokes nonetheless. She’s homeless (for the moment) but assured me that she had very good insurance coverage and that many people including the Red Cross had already been to see her and give her support. JP is there today being a good son to his mom. I always feel like such a bad family member when this kind of thing happens and I live so far away.

Dianne told me that her neighbour noticed the fire outside of Dianne’s home and ran over to raise the alarm and make sure Dianne got out, which she did but short one cat, her precious Bobbie. The fire fighters managed to move Dianne’s car, which almost got caught up in the blaze, but pretty much everything else was lost. Dianne was the most upset about the family photos that were lost. Don’t worry sweetie we’ll send some more.

Being a volunteer firefighter in the Berwick Fire Department there’s a definite irony to this tragedy that wasn’t lost on Dianne and her colleagues who tried to lighten the mood reminding her that Monday nights are fire practice anyway.

Dianne’s been through enough trial and tribulation in one lifetime to warrant an Oprah show, believe me. The daughter of a war bride from a Dutch Jewish family who converted to Christianity to escape the Nazi’s, placing a child up for adoption, multiple serious health issues, divorce, raising two teenage boys on her own and now her home burns down. Ugh! Through it all though Dianne seems to have this unshakable spirit. She spoke very positively about her future even in the midst of such misfortune. Wow! I know plenty of folks (namely myself) who could take a page from that book. I’m proud to have that DNA you gave me Dianne. 🙂

As of this writing I haven’t heard yet what the cause of the fire was. Please send all your good vibes, thoughts and prayers – whatever you believe in. Dianne needs all the help she can get.