House on Fire

Her house is on fire. 
She can take what she can fit in her car. 
Vital documents, precious keepsakes, the baby's essentials. 
The dog he kicked last week because he knew it would hurt her. 
She has to work quickly. 
She has between twenty minutes and two hours before he wakes up. 
She can't go back. 
Or look back. 

Recently, large swaths of our county were evacuated due to the Kincade Fire. 
My office in Sonoma County was closed for four days. 
The clients we serve, many of whom are experiencing homelessness, are accustomed to this drill. 
But not because of the Kincade Fire.
Rather because their lives have been on fire for awhile. They've fled their homes under duress.
Fewer actual flames, more metaphorical Molotov cocktails. 
If only these victim/survivors, who often end up in shelters or on the streets, were met with commensurate empathy. 
If only ... .