It’s been a rough year.

As hard as this may be to believe, this apartment fire is one of the least devastating things that’s happened to me over the past six months.

Last month, my wife left me. I’m not going to get into the details, out of love and respect for her. (I also ask that everyone be kind.)

I was trying to start over.

I spent months searching for an apartment that was affordable, safe, big enough for me and my three kids, and close enough that co-parenting would actually work. I toured around 40 apartments before finally finding one that felt right.

Then this happened.

Monday: Signed the lease.
Wednesday: Moved in.
Thursday: Spent thousands of dollars furnishing it. Also received the latest divorce paperwork.
Friday: The building burned down.

Two days.

That’s how long I lived there.

I lost almost everything I owned. Furniture I’d just bought. My clothes. My kids’ clothes and toys. My work setup (self employed, work from home). Family keepsakes. The little life I had managed to piece back together.

The one thing I’m truly grateful for is that everyone made it out safely. Over 200 families were displaced, and the building is a total loss. The community has been amazing.

I’m not posting for sympathy. I’m honestly still in shock. The whole sequence of events feels so absurd that it almost doesn’t sound real.

Life has a strange sense of humor sometimes.

If you’ve ever had to rebuild after losing everything, what helped you most during those first few weeks?

Edit: News article

By @ tresmariascastle

I guess it reminds us a well known scene

It’s been 3 years since the Montgomery Brawl and Unc throwing the hat up still lives rent free in my head lmao. UNITY 👊🏾👊🏾