Man Finds Wife's Ring in Ashes and Re-Proposes
As wildfires continue tearing through Southern California, some families are returning home to find their houses and belongings completely destroyed. It's heartbreaking, but stories of hope, like the one from this Ventura County couple, are beginning to surface.
Don and Julie Myers recently evacuated their home, and when they returned, they weren't expecting to find much in the ashes. The couple had a fire safe, but when they opened it, it seemed as though everything was "unrecognizable," Julie tells GoodHousekeeping.com.
Still, the firefighters on-site helped them to look through the safe just in case there was anything salvageable. Don continued to sift through the remnants, and in doing so, he found his wife's original wedding ring.
Julie has two rings: The original, which was in the fire safe, and a new one that Don purchased for their 25th anniversary. She was wearing the new ring at the time of the fire.
Once they found the original ring, Don got down on one knee and re-proposed to Julie, proving that in times of tragedy, acts of love triumph.
I was overwhelmed with emotion and smoke fumes.
"It was truly amazing that he found it, I thought we had lost it forever because everything else was unrecognizable," Julie says. "He set it up with my son to photograph his proposal while I left because I was overwhelmed with emotion and smoke fumes. The proposal was icing on the cake."
She says the family is doing well with support from family and friends.
"The people from the city of Ventura have been amazing with an outpouring of love and support," Julie says. She suggests donating gift cards, since most people have so many items to replace, for those who want to help.
As of Monday, the wildfires have scorched 230,000 acres of land in Southern California, including parts of Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties. There are several organizations that are seeking volunteers and donations; you can find more info here.
(h/t Scary Mommy)
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