For the  most part we were quite fortunate with the weather last week and this week we could have been in a new season or different country but this didn’t stop some major disasters occuring which have left many in despair and others hopeless to remedy.

I know we can’t all be everywhere all the time and to answer all the what ifs and if onlys would be futile and impossible, so maybe fate plays a part here or it is just what it is. I don’t know but one thing I do know is it is very saddening and heartbreaking to have to stand by and not be able to help.

Words of encouragement and support and empathy seem so hollow and utterly empty to the point or worthlessness. Without a magic wand what else can be done?

Last week I received a call to check on a friend’s home. So off I went through the snow and wind to see what the problem was. My knowledge of plumbing and electrics is very limited so I stopped of at a mate’s house who kindly offered to help.

I opened the door and was confronted by a rainstorm inside. Water was streaming down the walls, pouring through light fittings and any joint or hole it could find. It was dark, cold and wet like a disaster area. Luckily we managed to stumble on the stop cock and turn the water off but the damage had been done and sadly there was little we could do but sweep the water into the wet room and down the drain. All because a pipe joint was badly sealed and failed in the loft of all places. There was a little silver lining. The bed and most of the clothing were in an area that was dry do we lifted as much as we could from the floor and onto the bed.

If I was heartbroken then how would the owner feel? If my thoughts were of total hopelessness then I cannot imagine what a crushing feeling my friend would experience. I do not have the emotions to understand how they must feel.

In the subsequent days I visited the home the problem was not quite as bad as it was on that dark, cold evening but it is still a mess.

I just hope that somewhere down the line everything sorts out for the best.

Now this is just one problem and for some it may seem quite minor as the water was clean and it was stopped before too much damage ensued and my friend has somewhere to live. Many others have experienced days of homelessness due to flooding, blown electrics, failing heating and collapsed roofs. Others have been snowed in and some of the very unlucky have lost loved ones and friends.

My thoughts go out to all of these people and I pray that there is some fortune and hope to come for them.

It puts my own problem of a blown electric socket, which caused my dishwasher and washing machine to fail and stop working, as trivial at best. A quick trip to the local hardware store fixed this and all was well an hour later.

Please, please, please keep an eye on loved ones and property at this time of the year and act as quick as you can if you notice a problem. This is all I can offer as way of support but if we all work together then it can be a major defence.