"WHAT A MESS !"

       While away at work last week, I received a call from my understandably upset wife...A pipe under the kitchen sink had broken sometime during the night.  Upon discovering the situation, she solicited the assistance of neighbors for mopping, sopping, and otherwise getting the 'flood' out of the house.  Unfortunately, that was only the 'tip of the iceberg'; however, it was anything but ice.  It was a hot water pipe, so there was also steam...in the air, on doors, and on windows, on everything in the affected areas of the house.  Well, once that part was finished and the disaster clean up crew began their work, something of the magnitude of 'the mess' began to emerge.
   The kitchen is on main level. Underneath are the den, the laundry room and my office.  Well, to this point, we know: the den ceiling and paneling are ruined (as in gone, removed); a sofa and a desk are ruined; my office flooring is ruined...gone, removed; A couple of rugs were damaged beyond restoration; some antiques were water damaged; we are down to sub-flooring in kitchen. So, gone is the tile floor that was installed just a few years ago by a master craftsman.  Water ran out of the house under two relatively new exterior doors. They have begun to warp and will need replacing. Kitchen cabinets will also need replacing, as will likely the tile in the foyer.  Those are the ones that I can cite off-hand. Are there others?  And, beyond the structural concerns, there are inconveniences galore: No kitchen appliances (they have been removed to allow clean-up and beginnings of restoration).  Limited seating areas (other parts of the house have been sealed off to contain dust, residue, etc.) and no desk.  (Gives a entirely new understanding of  'lap-top computer').
    Driving home yesterday afternoon, I heard an NPR item on the plight of a homeless couple in Baltimore.  It was a helpful 'keep your perspective' reminder.  We have  space limiting, confining, inconvenient messes galore.  But, we are warm and dry and safe.
(Even though the security alarm did activate around 3 a.m. a couple of nights ago.  Apparently, condensation in the sensors had caused a temporary malfunction.) We have taken lots of pictures and not just for insurance claims.  We are being told to think in terms of at least two months for complete restoration. Then I remember that two months ago was well past Christmas.  Another, 'keep your perspective' reminder noted.  And the magnanimity of heart and tangible assistance of neighbors has been gratifying.  I do not think that either of these 'reminders' means that we need minimize 'the mess'.  It's more than an inconvenience and it is highly stressful.  But, it is not 'terminal'.  In writing this, I am reminded of one of my mother's favorite sayings: "This, too, shall pass."  What I wanted to tell mom but never did was that sometimes the 'passing' is a pain in the ying-yang.
   Satchel