“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Corinthians

This is my tennis friend, who recently lost her home in a fire.

She wanted to take a picture of me, but I insisted we take a selfie even though she preferred otherwise. I admire her so much.

We met today to share lunch in her backyard, in between phone calls and her next appointment with a contractor. I was deeply moved and humbled by her patience, sweetness, grace and faith.

She found two plastic chairs that survived the fire in her little shed, and we sat in the shade and drank lemonade, watching a hummingbird flit around the yard and admiring her banana tree that was about to produce fruit. Some things survived.

The house is a complete loss. I peeked in to see the damage and was struck by the severity of it. The walls and roof are still standing, but the contents are all disintegrated, with soot and broken glass everywhere. Yet there were a few signs of the life once lived there, like the cloth bag hanging by the inside door handle, that she probably used regularly, waiting for her to take out shopping. I didn’t like seeing such destruction and loss.

The backyard provided refuge and I enjoyed being out there with her for a short while. She has a long road in front of her, working out the details of recovery and rebuilding. But I have faith that she will do well and face the challenge with positivity and grace. She already is. And she’s one smart woman! I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her!

Namaste.