Shirley Enebrad

Author, Speaker & Grief Counselor

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Fire Relief and Grief

Fire Relief and Grief

August 16, 2023 by Shirley Enebrad Leave a Comment

This past week has been difficult for my Lahaina Town community, ‘ohana, and dear friends. I am so grateful that my daughter Brie miraculously escaped with her inhalers and Epipen. No time for anything else. Her harrowing tale of navigating streets with downed power lines and trees, cars jammed together bumper to bumper, and low visibility due to thick black smoke and exploding gas stations gives me nightmares. We flew Brie and our grandson Keoni to be with us. They arrived last night. My daughter has been afraid to go to sleep. She worries about reliving the terror in her dreams and is scared it will happen again, and she won’t know. You see, she was asleep at the start of last Tuesday’s fire. She thinks that inhaling the smoke affected her. How many others died from smoke inhalation? Thank God someone called to check on her. She was groggy and slow to react until her friend told her to look out her window. I am proud of Brie for keeping a level head and even rescuing and warning others on her way out of Lahaina Town. She even stopped at Waiola, our church, to pray quickly and assess the wind direction and roads. It was Hawaii’s second oldest Christian church and the most senior on Maui. At this time, I don’t know if the Royal Tomb where several Queens, the last King of Kauai, and Princesses, Chiefs, and Chiefesses survived. I am pretty sure that Brie is the last person to pray there. ***The above photo shows Waiola’s Keopuolani Hall burning mere minutes after Brie fled the area.

Brie’s story of survival is a blessing for our ‘ohana. The vast number of missing is sickening. They have confirmed 106 dead, but at this writing, they have only searched 30% of our little town. There will be more. People were trying to flee in cars, and many jumped out of their vehicles and ran for the ocean. Many didn’t make it out of the cars. Too many who jumped into the sea perished as the winds whipped the ocean, which, of course, wasn’t calm. What about older people living alone or in the Hale Mahaolu Eono? If young people died fleeing the fire, the elderly didn’t have much chance.

Our hanai (adopted) daughter Danyelle and all but one of our tenants miraculously made it out too. Jean is still missing. We may never know what happened to Jean if they don’t find her soon. She is one of 1,200 on the dreaded missing list. Her daughter continues to pray for a miracle. Two thousand two hundred structures burned, and 86% were residential. Our island’s housing shortage for locals was already a serious issue. Now it is unfathomable. My heart hurts, but my mind spins when I try to process what will become of the displaced whose jobs were vanquished by the fire and who cannot live in their cars, the parks, and others’ backyards forever. The situation and temporary solutions are not sustainable. I am encouraging Brie and Danyelle to move to another island until West Maui is rebuilt and safe.

Several grief clients have asked for my counsel, but I cannot. I am grieving, too, and it is still so raw I cannot take on more sadness now. Angry too. Don’t get me started on slimy insurance companies, land vultures, MAGA politicians who’ve used our tragedy to attack the President, and now a crop of crazies who have no connection to Maui spewing ridiculous conspiracy crap. Then, there are the looky-loos – ghouls who want to see the devastation of Front Street before the authorities can finish their search for the dead. They violated the order to stay away from certain areas and pitched a whiny fit when told to stay away. To you who were stuck not being able to see your homes because the cops were told no more cars could come in…it was due to these guys. But, there are countless stories of aloha. Most of the community takes care of each other. I am proud of Jen, Rita, State Rep. Elle Cochran, and many others who immediately started coordinating relief efforts even though their homes were destroyed too.

Please pray for Mauians and those who loved our charming historic sacred gem of a beach town. We will rise again, but the historic sites and buildings are gone and cannot be replaced. At least the Banyan Tree looks like it survived. It is the second largest in the world and a symbol of the strength of Lahaina’s spirit.

If you want to help, please donate to the Maui Food Bank, the Maui Humane Society, or someone you know who has Venmo or a GoFundMe. My daughter Ke’ili created one for Brie and the boys, and we are grateful for the much-needed funds so they can buy necessary replacement items, find a new home and start healing from this traumatic experience. Mahalo Mahalo Mahalo! (BTW, this was not a plug for Brie’s GoFundMe, as there are thousands more who need help too.)

If you plan to visit Maui, please wait until it is safe and ready to welcome you. PS I just heard there are two more hurricanes potentially hitting Maui. God help us!

Mahalo ke Akua,

Shirley

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Reviews & Testimonials

I just have to tell you that your book has become a part of me.  I have milked it by only reading it when I was alone and quiet.  I feel I know little Cory now.  It has been a privilege getting to know his sweet spirit.  Thank you so much for sharing a small part of him with me.  I would love to see the video that was made.  Bless your heart for the pure love and strength that you instilled in your sweet baby.  Cory is a true gift to all who get to share his story.
Pamala Butler Iacovitti, Wichita Falls, Texas (after reading Over the Rainbow Bridge)
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Over the Rainbow Bridge is an intelligent and emotional book that exhibits an unforgettable life and death of a child wise beyond his young years. You don’t have to be grieving to get Cory’s life lessons.
Karen Minton, MA, CAN, Gosnell Memorial Hospice House, Maine
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Cory was my favorite patient ever and he taught me more than I could ever teach him. His lessons about Summerland (the afterlife) were profound and his drawings of what he saw ‘Over the Rainbow Bridge’ helped thousands of people get in touch with their long-buried emotions.
Dr. Elisabeth Kubler Ross, Famed researcher & author of 16 books ‘On Death and Dying’
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Although I haven’t experienced too much loss, this short, to-the-point book gave me a wealth of very important information on how to help others cope with grief, and how to know what to expect when it happens to me. I learned about things to say and not to say to those grieving, and how important it is to let yourself go through the process when you experience loss. The author knows what she is talking about, as she has experienced extensive loss herself. Concise and helpful tips!
P. Pacelli, Sammamish, WA (after reading Six-Word Lessons on Coping with Grief)
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Shirley, I can’t tell you how much your book touched my life. Your son was an amazing boy-such an upbeat, inspiring, beautiful little boy… although I cried, I also celebrated the person he was. And your writing made me feel like I was a part of your life with your son, instead of just reading about it. Images came to mind. Like when you had to walk that long distance to the hospital with your son in your arms after your car broke down. There were so many others… and the laughs I had with the ghosts!  The feelings I experienced while reading –I … Read more
Lisa Salvati, TV News Reporter, New York (after reading Over the Rainbow Bridge)
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I loved this very human and touching story of a family’s journey with a terminally ill child. Although it was sad, it was also courageous and funny. It was far more about living than about dying, and offers a positive example for all of us to value each day. The messages about life beyond death’s door are intriguing, uplifting, and very believable. Thank you for a beautiful read.
Marcia Shaver (after reading Over the Rainbow Bridge)
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The written word can be very powerful and moving, and every so often there is a book that can truly change lives; Over the Rainbow Bridge is that important. It is a true account of a heroic child’s mission in his short life to teach us about love and life, that one and both are the same: eternal. In our culture, where death is almost a taboo subject, Over the Rainbow Bridge will help us confront our fears and embrace life in a “down to earth” way. It is accessible, a comfort to read, as if being embraced by an old friend.
Gei Chan, well-read Artist & Designer
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The greatest gift I received from reading “Over the Rainbow Bridge” is a comforting peace about death and dying. Death is not an ending, but the beginning of a new phase. Powerful. Thanks Cory for your wisdom.Through the life of this 9 year old boy, I learned more insights about heaven and the afterlife than I ever learned by attending church. I don’t know who I’m more impressed with—Cory, a young man who even in death was the most positive, inspirational person I never met; or his mother Shirley who had the courage to really list… Read more
Shelly Heesacker, Freelance TV Field Producer for ‘Oprah’ and ‘The Dr. Phil Show’
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This primer on grief is practical , honest, and totally on the money about feelings, thoughts, and behaviors which are part of the human experience of grief and loss. The six word lessons are understandable, strengthening, and probably because there are only ‘six words’ easily remembered. It also takes direct aim at the guilt experienced about ‘the need to talk about it’.
William M Womack MD, Psychiatrist ("Six Word Lessons" On Coping with Grief)
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Having dealt with the loss of my son, I can totally relate to this book. While reading it, I found myself reflecting back to the “stupid” things that people said to me when I was in the throes of so much pain that I couldn’t see past the very next second. I am comforted by Shirley’s words which are down to earth and easily understood. This book WILL help you if you let it. It is a quick read and is one of the things that I like most about it. Grief is a lifelong journey that changes over time so take care of your heart and read this book. It is… Read more
April Braykovich (Kirkland, WA) (after reading Six-Word Lessons on Coping with Grief)
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