I want to thank the community of Bountiful for the love, concern and encouragement we have received since the home we were renting burned on April 23. On that day we lost all of our material possessions. We lost our sense of security. We lost our home. We lost our beloved pets and the children lost some of the innocence of childhood. On that day we knew we would have to move and lose the association of neighbors whose friendships we have treasured since moving to Utah in 1992.
However, the lessons we learned from that day have not centered on what was lost but on what was found. We found a greater love for one another as a family. We found ourselves overwhelmed and humbled by the generosity of others. We found ourselves strengthened by prayers offered in our behalf. We found that strangers came forward to help. We found courage within ourselves to smile, count our blessings and look forward to the future. We found there is great goodness in people.The children and I want to thank all those who have helped us in an innumerable variety of ways. To each of you we express our gratitude and appreciation. We want to offer a heartfelt thank you to the Bountiful fire and police departments, to our neighbors, friends, family and colleagues, to the members of the Bountiful Central Stake, to the students and faculties of Oakhills and Valley View elementary schools, Bountiful High and Weber State University and to the dedicated workers with the Davis County Victims of Crime Assistance Program. We extend a special thank you to our landlords who have suffered themselves and yet have treated us graciously.
Because of all that was lost, some have called what we have experienced a tragedy. What we have found is that the tragedy would be in feeling sorry for ourselves rather than being filled with gratitude for all the blessings we truly have.
Gail Wright
Bountiful