It’s not common for a devastating house fire to be the stuff of inspiration, but that’s how Halfmoon Haven co-owner Chris Fletcher processed the tragic fire that all but gutted the main house on his property, nestled in a spectacular setting above Welcome Beach in Halfmoon Bay.
Even with insurance coverage, the Fletcher family has seen most of their possessions go up in flames or drowned in water. Chris and wife Jenn, along with teenage sons Reese and Braydon, have lost their beautiful home, and it will take months before they can return. Although booked until November, the bed and breakfast will not be reopening until next year.
For Chris, however, the tragedy was instead all about 17-year-old Braydon’s fearless and determined response to the fire, which prevented it from being far more destructive. His pride in his son overshadowed the bleakness that entered the family’s world. With a background as a youth counselor for children at risk, Chris is undoubtedly geared by his training and experience to find the positive in negative situations, and here he put that faculty to superb use in his own life.
Positive people usually attract other positive people, and the comments that poured in on social media after the fire reflected that. The Fletchers’ circle appears to be an intelligent, spiritual, good-humoured group that embraced the inspirational message that Chris put out. “I am so proud of you guys for journeying together,” wrote drum circle leader and residential school survivor Terry Aleck.
There is always the knowledge that things could have been much worse to fall back on whenever setbacks occur. In the Fletchers’ case, there was no injury or loss of life, the Halfmoon Bay Volunteer Fire Department ensured the fire didn’t spread to the rest of the property, and there is insurance to cover the losses.
But interpreting a setback as a rite of passage, focusing on the strength and profound good that can surface when individuals are placed in bad situations, is meeting life at a higher level.
We salute Chris’s wisdom and Braydon’s courage in the face of this trying ordeal and wish the Fletcher family and Halfmoon Haven a swift recovery.
