Boy, go away for a while and I have 3 billion posts to catch up with! Not that I mind. Just to summarize, and deal with me, that's all I can say, It helps me to work it out by writing it down, so here goes.. Okay, On July 6 I came home from work, and life as I knew it was gone. A stupid GA storm and 3 simutaneous bolts of lightning hit my building, my apt being ground zero, and took away the most precious things in my life. My childern, Pudgy and Fizzgig. I realize now how silly many of the things in my life that I stressed about or created don't really matter at all in the grand scheme of it all. Nothing matters more than friendship or the wonder of life itself. Coming home that day is something that I'll never forget, taking away the girls from me was just wrong. Plain wrong. I stood there in the complex watching the rest of my life burn away, that day. A very tough thing to see. The entire top floor, where I once called home, is completely gone. In all 72, I believe apts, it could be residents, have lost homes. From what I am able to gather so far the only pets to lose their lives where my two girls. That hurts me more than anything can ever do. All the other is just things. They have memories, but they didn't have a part of my soul. All I can hope is that the Rainbow Bridge is real, and that they know how much their dad misses them. I'm still dealing with some healing and working on rebuilding in a new home. I know it sounds strange but I can hear their toys jingling sometimes, and I oft catch glimpses of ferret-y shadows darting around. I find myself reveling in that. I know that soon I will be ready to see about adopting more fuzzbutts soon, after things settle, and this sort of weird inner divinity I have that the girls will let me know when "it's okay, dad". I know that it will take a little time, but I also know that a life with out fuzzbutts just isn't the same! My word to you all though, is just remember to take time each day, hug your fuzzle (even if they want to get down!) and tell 'em that ya love 'em. Mike [log in to unmask] Safe now in Heaven's arms Run free and sing with the angels, War dance and dook with the stars, No longer will cage doors hold you from play I offer my heart as your hidey-hole, your hammock Play there forever in beauty, my sweet ones. [Posted in FML issue 2758]