This still feels very raw, tender, vulnerable. 

And so difficult to talk about. 

I grew up in one of the most magical places in the world. On a 4.5 acre small country property, where we had peach trees, animals, and grew our own food. We could walk up the forest trail behind our home, and see waterfalls. The property overlooked Okanagan lake, and it was the most peaceful home for our family for the last 45 years.

Mountain sheep, deer, coyotes, bears, bobcats, owls, and countless other precious animals were regular visitors (I will never forget the day I came face to face with a bear in the garage, at age 8, putting my bike away!! ).

On Thursday Aug 17, a devastating fire ripped through Kelowna. The fire chief described it as 100 years of fires in 1.

As it's a rural area, there is a volunteer fire department... and my dad is a member. Thursday, my mom evacuated their home, and my dad went to work the fires.

That night, he sustained burns on his face and arms trying to save...