what would you do?

about a month ago my husband woke me up at midnight and said i better get outside to see if i can help.
i had no idea what was going on. then he told me he smelt smoke and the neighbours were outside with flaslights paniking.
we thought it was about the neighbours on the right side of us. the parents had gone in to town for the allouette's football game and their son decided to have a pool party that could have easily led to a mishap.
it wasn't them.
it was our neighbours to the front - across the street. the gorgeous house that i gaze at everyday through my living room windows. the one that the husband works on tirelessly everyday.

i can't even remember if i had shoes on when i ran outside. {the reason tony sent me is that they are a 100% french family and tony doesn't speak the language so he felt he wouldn't be able to help.}

i ran across the street in what i thought was fog at first - i was still half asleep. it wasn't until my eyes adjusted did i noticed everyone in their light summer pajamas, bare feet, clutching their babies and hearing the panic did i realize it was this house. then the bottom corner of the roof started to spark and flames licked out, taunting us, for all eyes to see. almost like it was laughing at us.

this house had no chance. this house is gone.

we stayed up most the night in watching in awe. i have never been so close to something like this ever. {well once but i had a newborn and tony thought it best i stayed inside so i missed it.} we were also up all night because the command post for the emergency was on our front lawn, in front of our bedroom.

there were two accidents during the ordeal - one fireman fell through the roof, the lower half of his body in active fire, another fireman ran over and tried to pull him out and finally giving him one last push out and they BOTH the fell off the roof together in an embrace. in total three volunteer firemen were sent to the hospital and all came out fine.

as we watched the fire it started to make me think. now i know i am not supposed to make this about me but it does ignite some questions within oneself. what would you do in that situation? i have countless scenarios running through my head but at the end of the day WOULD i be that crazy lady i envision running through the house gathering photo albums and computers as i always thought? would i just panic and chuck my kids out the windows and run out as well?
in the split second you have to decide - what would you do?

they lost everything. i can't even begin to comprehend that. thankfully they are all safe.
that's the most important. i think i just found my answer.

it made me realize one thing though - life IS short. you have to live at all to the fullest and experience the wonderful it all has to bring and hopefully enjoy yourself immensely along the way. enjoy your family {however that looks} and, if you have to work, enjoy what you do to the fullest.

on that note.....



i quit my job.



and i think we just decided to sell our house.....