What do you HODL?
I’m not just talking about cryptocurrencies. This can apply to many areas of your life. And generally speaking, HODL-ing is a good thing…usually.
Maybe, like me, you’re holding on to something that you need to let go of though. In my case, I’m hoping with time, it will.
It’s not something I think about every day anymore, but apparently, I’m still feeling the (negative) effects of our house fire from last summer.
For those of you who don’t know, we had a house fire in July 2020. The damage wasn’t so bad that we couldn’t live in our house while renovations occurred – but it was a very long and stressful process. We didn’t get everything fixed and have our house back to normal until January 2021.
But, for me – and my daughter – you could say we have some Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I don’t say this lightly because it’s a serious condition, and there are people who have it much worse than we do, but we definitely have our PTSD moments.
I had a little “episode” while Ben was away recently. I came home on this beautiful day and while I was unloading my car, I swore I smell smoke. I ran into the house – upstairs and downstairs – and into the backyard – with our pup in tow – frantically looking for smoke, a fire, something. And then I remember thinking, “Maybe, I just can’t see it yet, like it’s in the attic or behind the walls.”
But then I sat outside, and I came to the realization that there was a very slim chance that there was a fire in our home. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened to me. And it’s always when there is no one else home.
My daughter, Alexa, has experienced something similar as well – and again – when she was home alone. She even went outside in the rain to check the back of the house. We have shared these stories with each other, and I think it makes us feel better…like we’re not alone in this phantom smoke smelling.
In addition to what we have experienced, our family – once one that loved barbeques and fires in our woodburning fireplace – has not had a barbeque nor used our woodburning fireplace since the fire. No bonfires for us last fall either. Now, these aren’t super big deals, but for us, it’s really telling of the lasting effects the fire has had on us.
Ben swears he doesn’t really think about it, but I’m sure he does on some level. “Mr. Loves a Good Fireplace Fire” didn’t even bring it up this past winter, but he claims he’s being supportive. That could be the reason. 😊
I’m not sure when or if I will ever get over having this feeling. And honestly, I’m not sure counseling would really help at this point, but if I thought it would, I would certainly do it. It’s likely just going to take time—and maybe many, many years of no fires.
What does this have to do with crypto? Very little, if anything.
But I shared this story with you this week because I want you to appreciate your home, your loved ones, your resiliency, and most importantly, to know that it’s okay to ask for help and to get help.
Everyone handles stress and stressful situations differently—whether that’s a house fire or maybe your favorite cryptocurrency just took a big plunge. Know that whatever the situation, you will get through it—you will be okay.
Just remember to HODL.
HODL your loved ones. HODL your cryptocurrencies. HODL whatever is dear to you.
You won’t regret HODL-ing.
References/Related Articles:
2- https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml
3 – https://www.apa.org/topics/disasters-response/residential-fire
5 – https://dailymom.com/nest/how-to-recover-after-the-disaster-of-a-house-fire/
Kelly Wisness-Semchee has been Bitcoin Ben’s wife for more than 11 years. She has spent 20+ years in marketing and communications for various companies, including 13 years in healthcare specifically. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and an MBA. Kelly resides with “Bitcoin” Ben, their fur babies “Litecoin” Little and Lacie, and daughter Alexa in the St. Louis area. Learn more at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwisness/. Copyright © 2021 by Kelly Wisness-Semchee