Unfortunately, the heavy rains at the beginning of this month here in Seattle brought some serious water intrusion/flood damage to my beloved yoga studio. So the studio has been temporarily closed since December 5 for mitigation, repairs, and restoration. The good news is that the studio will be completely restored to its former glory by the end of this month.

It’s been a stressful time for me as I deal with the building manager who, initially, did not want to take responsibility for the damage caused to my studio from cracks in the foundation of the building and the root-lifted sidewalk that tilts toward my studio! I was prepared to take legal action, but then a compromise took place between manager, landlord and me: I am to pay for the installation of the wood flooring (yes, the whole floor needs to be redone) and the Landlord will take care of all other repairs. Since I cannot use my studio, they will wave my rent this month. With studio closure, comes the hardship of wage loss. I’ll have to work with the city to see about compensation on wage loss since the tree is owned by the city.

Meanwhile, the manager seems to be dragging his feet on getting the foundation cracks fixed. The sidewalk will also have to be repaired at a later point, when the city gets to our work order..  The big almost-century old maple tree will have to have a few roots amputated, as determined by the city arborist. The aborist will do all they can to save the tree while making sure the roots cause no further damage. And here I am, feeling like my hands are tied. The foundation should have been dealt with by now! I can’t move forward with the flooring until foundation cracks are repaired, dry wall installed, and wall painted. I am teaching some Zoom and all Facebook live stream classes from home, but honestly, this FFF (Fran’s-Flood-Fiasco) could not have come at a worse time! Is there ever a good time for a flood? 

So, I’ve been feeling sorry for myself, worried, and anxious. I keep reminding myself, “Wait, Fran! You’ve been through much worse than this and you pulled through.”  A shattered heart mends, and a flooded studio can be restored.

And as my head was spinning from this disaster, I had two revelations:

Yesterday, as I was teaching two people online, I saw a glimpse of Santa behind Mary, one of the online yogis. When our session was over, Mary excitedly showed us her life-sized Santa. She told us she bought him online at Horchow. He’s so unique that he’s signed and numbered! He is so beautiful! He has a porcelain face and a sturdy body. His eyes are both soulful and jolly. I was moved by him and I surprised myself when I blurted out,  “Oh, I love him!” Mary gently patted Santa’s head and said, “Oh, Fran. I do, too! I find myself talking to him.” Just as Mary said this, Maureen, the other yogi in class, said, “Well, I’d talk to him, too! He’s wonderful.”

It’s a simple story, but I am emotional writing about this. You see, I’ve been so upset over the flooding, studio closure, and slow restoration that I forgot to enjoy this special season. Thank you, Mary (and Santa) for reminding me about the magic of Christmas!

Mary’s life-sized porcelain-faced Santa:

And then this happened:  I was walking home from the studio today, again my head rumbling with numbers, figures, and dollar signs after having met with the owner of the flooring store, when suddenly, I looked up and witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets! Right here at Green Lake, Seattle. I pulled out my iPhone and got these gorgeous photos.

What flood? Santa and Purple Sunsets are rockin’ my world on this cold December day.

 

 

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela