When Misfortune Strikes

My sister called me on Friday to let me know that her apartment caught on fire. Thankfully, she has renter's insurance, but her textbooks and such for college were in the apartment. She wasn't home at the time, but her roommate was. No one got hurt, and they do have the coverage for their damaged belongings, but now everyone effected is homeless.

My heart aches for my baby sister. I am so far away and can't do anything for her, but my parents are nearby so she has somewhere to stay for the weekends. It's crazy how life works out. Fire is one of those things that you never expect to happen to you, and now that it has it's like all bets are off. I find that good and bad things usually come in three's so we'll see what comes next.

My sister is really good at staying light hearted and flowing with life and all the twists and turns. She is still in a good mood with her sense of humor even though she hasn't yet figured out her new living arrangements. She doesn't yet know about how the rest of her semester is going to go since quite a few of her books were toasted.

I admire her strength and resilience. She is certainly one tough cookie. We were lucky to grow up how and where we did with the parents that we have. We learned a lot about the good in life and how to get back to it and make our own happiness. I am incredibly grateful for my parents and family, and I know that my sister will be okay no matter what because of them. So many of us are spread across the country so we can't always be nearby in times of crisis, but we are always there for each other to help with every need.

How do you cope with misfortune or the unexpected? Anyone have tips and tricks for making lemonade out of these lemons? When disaster hits, people tend to come together. What keeps you and your people together through the good and the bad?