In the Claws of Devastating Bush-Fires— Day 2

The merciless media was killing me, but the kindness of strangers soothed all pain

“Somewhere there, 35 km away, in all the smoke, is my home… Is it still standing, or is the wind carrying its ashes?” – I thought to myself while watching the sun setting down (Photo by Author)

This is from my series of articles describing my experience with a recent bushfires when I almost lost my home. The goal is to show how I coped with the stress and how I protected my mental health. Often, we have no control over the situation, but we can always control our reactions and responses. I hope it helps others to see there is always light, even in the darkest moments.

Wednesday, 1st November

I was lying in bed, looking at the sky through the skylight. The stars started to fade, and the light of the dawn decorated the firmament. I didn’t get much sleep, not even 2 hours. I looked at my phone every hour or so and checked if the highway was open. Nope, not only it wasn’t open, but the fire was spreading rapidly.

I was praying for my home to be saved. Some people say that prayers won’t save me; it would be better if I got a good sleep. However, that’s not my experience. All my prayers in the past brought miracles. And anyway, who could sleep in such a situation?

I chuckled to myself when I recalled the words of my concerned friends trying to cheer me up the previous day.