When My World *Literally* Shifted
In June of 2021, a tree fell into my house after a storm passed through. One moment everything was normal, and the next, my home was no longer safe to live in. It wasn’t just damage to a structure — it was the sudden loss of stability and routine, the kind that stays with you longer than you expect. For a long time after, storms carried more weight than they should have. Thunder wasn’t just noise — it was a reminder. It took a few years before my body stopped bracing automatically, before weather became just weather again. In the immediate aftermath, something else stood out just as clearly: the way people showed up. Friends opened their homes to me without hesitation. Weeks at a time. Spare rooms, couches, meals, and the kind of generosity that doesn’t keep score. I was never made to feel like an inconvenience — only welcomed. Even people I had just met through Bektash offered support if I needed it. No obligation. No expectation. Just kindness. It was a quiet reminder that fa...