After the Fire: Learning to Feel Safe Again

Healing after a fire isn’t just about replacing what was lost — it’s about learning how to feel safe again in a world that no longer feels predictable.

It took me a long while to get through the ordeal of losing my belongings to smoke and water damage. My apartment had filled with about 14 inches of water from the firefighting efforts, a silent reminder of what had happened. The damage wasn’t just to my home — it was to my sense of peace.

My Belongings Laying on Balcony

For months, I lived in a constant state of alert. I carried a backpack everywhere I went, filled with the few things that still felt important. My keys, some money, my phone, small personal items — anything I couldn’t bear to lose again. I was afraid to leave anything behind. I avoided places where I couldn’t bring the bag, which meant I avoided much of life for a while too.

The fear of “what if it happens again” took root deep inside me. I was functioning, but always waiting for the next alarm, the next unknown. Slowly, very slowly, I started trusting again — leaving small things at home, staying out a bit longer, reminding myself that safety could return. Healing isn’t linear. It was a few years before I could truly exhale.

Everyone processes differently, and that’s okay. For me, two things became my anchors: journaling and Reiki.

I’ve journaled since I was a teenager, but during this time, it became my lifeline. Writing allowed me to pour out the noise in my head — the anxiety, the fear, the “what ifs.” When we write our emotions down, they stop swirling and start settling. They release their grip on the mind and soften into understanding.

Journaling my Thoughts

Reiki helped me re-center. The gentle flow of energy quieted the panic and reminded me that healing is as much about receiving as it is about releasing. I practiced self-Reiki every day, letting it ease my mind and help me trust that I was still safe, still held by something greater.

And as part of my healing, I prepared. I put together two “To-Go” bags — small duffle bags with essentials, just in case. It gave me a sense of peace to know I was ready for whatever might come. Sometimes, safety starts with small, practical steps.

Healing doesn’t happen all at once. It happens in the quiet decisions to keep showing up for yourself, even when fear whispers otherwise. It happens when you choose faith over panic — even if only for a moment at a time.

And most importantly, healing happens when you remember that you are not what happened to you — you are what rises from it. 🌻