day twenty-three...

GRATITUDE - Day #23

i'll get to the gratitude eventually, so bear with me...

i wrote, back on the first day of gratitude, of finding some wonderful paintings at our local framing shop whilst taking a print in to be framed. my husband in particular was enamored of this artist, and purchased several... and then several more.

one of which we promptly had framed... the others we were keeping at the store until after our move, so that we could have them framed with a specific room in mind.

today, i made the drive back to Alexandria to the frame shop, to pick them up.... only to find the frame shop in ruins, burnt to the ground.

selfishly, i am deeply disappointed and sad that our beautiful artwork that we had so looked forward to putting on our walls is now gone.

then i think of the poor woman who owned the business.... how she must be feeling, what she has lost... and i just feel sick on her behalf.

and the people who had brought family treasures in to be repaired or reframed... treasures that will leave empty spaces on otherwise full walls... now lost.

i just feel sick about it all.

and in trying to find that fragment of gratitude in the day... i am so very grateful that the painting i loved the best is here with us now, safely framed and hanging beautifully on our wall.