Abby Mayer
Jul 25, 2017 · 3 min read

I lost everything in a fire, but it turned out to be a good thing

You never know how you’ll react to an unexpected life event until it happens. And sometimes it can lead to better things.

It was 3 a.m. on a freezing February morning

I had a dream that I smelled smoke. I woke up immediately and realized it wasn’t a dream. My survival instinct took over, and I knew I had to get up and out. I threw on my coat and shoes and grabbed my handbag. At the time, I assumed I would be coming back.

After I had got outside, smoke was pouring from the back of the building within five minutes. We were taken to a nearby church to wait while the firefighters worked to put out the fire.

But I was never able to go back to my apartment. I lost everything. It turned out to be an electrical fire caused by a wiring problem. Fortunately, I had renter’s insurance.

After the fire

The fire chief said it would be difficult for me to get to my apartment and I would probably not be able to salvage anything.

My apartment was on the top floor at the back of the building, and the fire destroyed the entire back section of the building. The insurance adjuster confirmed my total loss two days later when he went to assess the damage.

I drove to my parents’ house which was an hour drive from my apartment. Afraid that I would not be able to hold it together if I saw the damage, I never went back. After asking the post office to forward my mail, I started putting together an inventory of everything I owned for my insurance claim.

It felt like there was pure adrenaline running through my body for a few weeks after the fire.

Although I was grateful that I escaped without injury, it took a while before I could sleep through the night.

When I returned to work three days later, my coworkers ordered Chinese food and threw an “after the fire” shower for me. It was very thoughtful, and I still have many of the gifts I received.

People were very generous and helpful. One of my friends lent me a business suit and gave me other clothes to wear as I replaced my wardrobe. I received a set of dishes, drinking glasses and other kitchen items.

Moving On

Months later, I realized that the fire was a good thing. Before it happened, I was stuck.

I was 29 at the time and was mulling over what direction I wanted my life to take. I had lived in the same apartment more than five years. I probably should have moved a few years earlier, but was not sure what to do or where to go. I had considered going to graduate school but decided against it.

The fire provided clarity for me. I ended up moving to an apartment in an area I liked more. And five years later, I bought a home nearby. I also ended up getting a promotion at work two months after the fire which set me on my future career path.

The year before my 30th birthday turned out to be a year of many changes, all of them for the better. I look back on the fire as a significant turning point in my life.

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