Fire!

     Last Monday, as we were getting ready to go to dinner, a fire broke out on the neighbor's deck. I guess because the fire was behind us and I was unsure of the address, the fire trucks came to our house.

     The fire chief ran through our gate on the side of our house and jumped the back fence, to the absolute delight of my children. I had to keep them in the house and out of the way, they were so excited (not because of the deck being on fire. They worried about that, but firefighters came to our house!)

      By then the neighbor had pulled a garden hose around the house and was nearly half way through extinguishing it, and the fire chief called the fire trucks around the block to the house on fire.

     One thing, it was surprising how quickly the fire grew. Within just a couple of minutes an ember from a fire pit caught the deck on fire and flames licked the eaves of the house. 

                                   

     After the fire was extinguished, one of the fire trucks came back by to congratulate the kids for reporting the fire. They told us that even though the fire was small, it spreads quickly. I was so impressed with the firemen for coming back to reinforce the lesson the kids learned that night. I know that it won't be easily forgotten in their minds. 

     I am grateful for those life lessons that just sort of happen, the ones kids learn on a grand scale by experiencing them. I hope that they will always be careful with fire.

 
     When have you been thankful for experiential lessons for your children?