[BullDog]

I am so very sorry for your losses.

I have not lost everything in a fire. I have lost many material possessions over time... due to decisions I have made or not made. In the past several months I have really missed my grandmother's quilts that I got rid of, many of my books and other things. My favorite material thing that I own in the world is a framed Kafka poster that is not with me right now. But other losses are more painful to me.

I am not someone who cares about material possessions, but sometimes certain things are a comfort and when they are gone you do miss some of them. In other ways it can be quite freeing not to have a lot. I feel both at the same time.

My saving grace is the unconditional love of good friends and my mother.

I take comfort in this:

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Peace to you and your family.