Resilience

Beautiful Fields of Alpine Valley

People who don't live in Alpine are always asking me what its like here now that the fire is out.  I am sure they are refering to how it looks but I want to tell you what its like.  Most people don't understand that the crisis is not over.  We are in monsoon season and the rain that falls almost everyday is terrifying.  Everytime it rains we all wonder who's turn it is to get flooded.  The stress and anxiety is unrelenting.  They tell us it is going to be like this for several years. 

New Alpine Signage

That being said, we are amazing, strong, and resilient people in this little town.  We have been brought to our knees and have a black eye but we're still here.  We are taking care of our community, each other and still  just living.  Yesterday our town celebrated a wedding that got postponed because of the evacuation and a baby shower for someone awaiting a new son.  We laughed, we loved on each other and then it started raining, and we worried together. 

Wildflowers of Alpine

This morning I snapped these photos.  I was amazed at how much beauty I found in the burnout areas that were black just a few weeks ago.  There is green everywhere and beautiful wildflowers coming up out of the blackened soil.  Rising from the ashes so to speak, just like all of us who live here. 

 It's hard to live here right now, that's what I'll tell you if you ask.  It's hard, it's stressful, it's sad and yet I don't want to be anywhere else right now-this is my home and these are my people. It's also joyful,  peaceful and still beautiful here....you just have to look a little harder to find the beauty.