The Flood
12/19/2024
Merry Turd-Mess, and a Crappy New Year!
A Simple Start
Yesterday began like any other simple day at the end of the first half of the school year. There was that familiar energy in the air—people rushing, prepping for the holidays, and getting ready for kids to be home.
I’ve been working hard this year to dedicate time to meditation, reflection, and gratitude. It’s been a tough year for our family, especially with my health, but despite all the challenges, you wouldn’t know it by looking at me. I’m in perfect health now. My recent surgery went smoothly, and I’m on the road to recovery. I’m back to to moving and working out and I can enjoy doing the things I love.
An Afternoon Adventure
But yesterday was just another ordinary day. I was reflecting on the concert I had that weekend, thinking about the next opportunities I have in the coming year…
I picked up the kids from school, and I could tell they were restless. So, we decided to take them on a little adventure. A friend joined us, and we took the golf cart to pick up dinner items, just to get out of the house.
Once back home, I unloaded the groceries on the counter and noticed the dogs giving me “the look.” So, I grabbed their leashes and decided to take them on a pre-dinner walk. The kids followed on their bikes, and Chris joined as well. We had a nice time, moving together as a family.
Chris decided to take one more loop with our energetic puppy, while the kids and I headed back to start dinner.
The Unthinkable Happens
But as we returned from our walk, what started as a simple day turned into something much more significant.
When I opened the door to our home, I heard the unmistakable sound of rushing water—not trickling, not dripping, but rushing water. To my horror, gallons upon gallons of water were pouring from every light fixture in the downstairs. The water was already a few inches deep.
I’m so proud of our kids for following our emergency protocol—they immediately rushed to our friends’ house across the street. I grabbed the phone and yelled, “Emergency!” into it, calling Chris to rush home and meet me in this chaos.
I quickly ran upstairs to find the source of the flood, and discovered it was coming from the kids’ bathroom. I immediately turned off the water to the toilet and started grabbing every towel in the house. Unfortunately, the towels were no match for the relentless flow of water. Thankfully, I had just cleaned out a bunch of plastic totes from the attic. I placed a tote under every can light and chandelier, filling up ten-gallon containers multiple times before the water finally trickled to a stop.
Gratitude Amidst the Chaos
In the midst of all this chaos, I was deeply grateful for good friends that grabbed up our kids with no question, eased their concerns and fed them dinner… and even helped us shop-vac up the mess.
This Christmas will definitely look a little different this year, but the important thing is that everyone is safe, and our Christmas tree and ornaments were spared. In the grand scheme of things, things are replaceable. Sure, the situation is unfortunate, but we’ll get through it. We always do.
Honestly, I might have to change the tagline for our Christmas card though…
Merry Turd-Mess, and a Crappy New Year!