I’ve written in the past about how laughter helps us get through some tough times. Today, I didn’t know if I should cry or laugh. I choose to laugh. But trust me, there really was nothing to laugh about. But I tried to find the smallest thing to latch on to to help me through the shock.

Let me explain.

Long story short, I had a house I flipped and carried the loan. It was an “as is” home that I bought dirt cheap and could make a small amount on. Mid summer the person stopped paying so I had to foreclose on the house and take it back.

Today, was my first time being able to head to the house and assess the damage so I could put it back on the market again. The windows were boarded up and you could see there must have been a fire from the burn on the some of the rafters. However, from walking around the house, the walls and the roof seemed to be fine from what we could see. So we scratched our head and began to take the plywood off the door. Imagine my surprise to discover, the pictures you are seeing.

OMG were the only words that could come out my mouth. The outside that looked pretty decent, was masking a home that was burnt to a crisp on the inside. Yes, that is the roof missing. The only part of the roof we couldn’t see from the outside. If I wasn’t sure I walked in to the same house you never could convince me.

All I could think was, OMG. What on earth am I going to do? Walking room to room and realizing nothing is salvageable.

This is the point where my handyman and I just started to laugh. I’m sure you are like “huhhhhh???”  Nothing funny here.

You see, this house has a history with him and I. Four years ago I got it dirt cheap. The family that lived in it lost it in foreclosure themselves. They then let the kids run wild and tag the whole house. Graffiti everywhere, ripped out the cabinets, bash the lights so glass everywhere, you name it. So it went to the top 3 of trashed houses that day. Actually our #2. (One day I’ll tell you about our #1 which is now the new #2 as this fire became the new #1 – follow all that?)

Anyways, we just started talking about what we have been through with this house and how it is the gift that keeps on giving. To be honest, the only thing that would have topped this house from the first go around, would have been a fire.

I’m still not sure what I’m going to do, as I have several options that I will not bore you with, but the point was I could have taken this situation one of several ways. I could have easily cried, it was so sad. The feeling of what am I going to do is very overwhelming as you all know. But that feeling will not help me solve the situation. But by laughing, it put me in a better frame of mind to go with the rest of the day.

So, just remember, when faced with do you cry or laugh, laughing can help you through. And if you are a crier, that’s fine, but just know that just because some of us laugh, it doesn’t mean we aren’t feeling the same pain. We all handle it in our own way.

 

~~~till we laugh again~~~~