Advice

The funny thing about telling people that you've had a fire is that they usually don't really know how to react. Everyone you know will, at some point, experience the loss of a loved one. So when they share that news with you, you know what to say. Not so much when someone shares that they have had a fire.

Most people are great about it. Although, to be fair, I am really kind of tired of talking about the fire. So if you see me, you don't need to ask about the fire or the house or our renovations or anything about this stuff. I probably don't want to talk about it. And if I do, I will bring it up.

To avoid the conversation completely, I am currently telling casual acquaintances that we are just renovating the house. This is true, so I don't feel like I am lying, so much as avoiding a longer conversation.

A few times, someone has really offended me when talking about the fire. For example, the other day, I had to tell someone at a furniture store why we were shopping for so much furniture. I didn't say anything like, "but we're so lucky." So he said it. In a scolding kind of tone. I really did NOT appreciate it. Guess who didn't order any furniture that day!