We went downstairs to check the bedroom to make sure it was ready for our guest who was about to arrive. As I stepped onto the carpet my shoes sunk into a wet sea of water. I shrieked with horror. As I entered the basement storage area there was water over my shoes. Obviously, a pipe had broken. The downstairs was filled with water and the many valuable things we keep in our basement were soaked. Our daughters’ elementary and high school boxes filled with their memories, stuffed animals, furniture, and handmade quilts were all floating. Yuck!
For the last five years, we have intended to get downstairs to organize and throw out old things. But who really wants to do that?
In the long run, the flood was a gift. We now know where everything is and have gotten rid of so much that was never needed. It really is the little-big things like photos, Christening and wedding dresses, a child’s first drawings and hand made Christmas ornaments that matter the most. We learned what we prize most in life.