On Being Burglarized

Having your home broken into sucks. Big time. Recovering from the shock of the "valuables" that were taken (we really don't have that much of value) has been relatively easy. Recovering from the emotional trauma of our home and privacy being invaded has been another matter altogether.

I have never been overly paranoid or a suspicious person. I have actually worked really hard to have a healthy and positive view of the world that I live in. But now, that is all shattered to pieces. I find myself laying in bed at night scared that someone will come into the house to take all the things they left behind. I don't recognize the girl that is setting up booby traps around the house and hiding my new computer in the hamper before leaving the house. I find myself looking at all the people in my neighborhood as possible suspects. I hate it. I have always loved my neighborhood, but now I am so relieved to be moving in two weeks. I am so angry to be leaving on this sour note. I am so angry at the people who did this to me. And while I know it wasn't a personal attack, it still feels nothing but personal.

How do I pick up the pieces? How do I regain my feeling of safety? I don't want this to affect the way I live, act and view the world. How can I make it happen?

The one thing that I have tried to do so far is count my blessings. It could have been so much worse. You don't have to read through the long list, but any advice you have for me as I work through the emotional trauma would be appreciated. Oh, and any advice to help our once partialy neurotic, but now completely neurotic dog get over her trauma of getting maced in her own backyard would also help.

Note: The person or persons that were in my home will from now on be referred to as punks (doesn't seem quite so scary as burglars). And if the punks are reading this right now because you clicked on the bookmark labeled "Tales" on my computer---YOU SUCK. And don't bother coming back for my new laptop because I will no longer be hiding it in the hamper.

-I am thankful the punks were not still in my house when I returned home.
-I am thankful I did not get the kids out of the car before going into the house so they didn't see how the punks had trashed it.
-I am thankful for my sweet neighbor who called the police and scooped up my children for the entire afternoon so they missed the police car at our house and mom completely losing it.
-i am thankful for my sister and who drove to my house on a moments notice and picked up my girls. And for my brother-in-law and niece who helped my sister give them a safe and fun place to stay for the night while DH and I were able to clean up and I was able to break down a few more times.
-i am thankful that my daughters don't seem to be suffering any ill effects from the event. The oldest knows someone came into the house and took things that did not belong to them but between the sweet talk that I know my sister had with her about why someone would take something that didn't belong to them and the duck feeding, horseback riding and guinea pig adventures she took them on, I think Princess will think of this past weekend as a happy time.
-I am thankful the punks sprayed my dog with mace instead of oven cleaner (I heard that sometime punks will spray dogs with oven cleaner which kills them). Although if they had just bent down and petted her, she would have happily opened the back door for them if she could.
-I am thankful the punks didn't take my video camera which still had the girl's birthday video inside of it because those are the things that are hard to replace.
-I am thankful the punks didn't take my backup hard drive because I was able to replace everything on my computer up until a month and a half ago (including all my photos). It could have been so much worse.
-I am thankful that while the punks trashed the place, they didn't destroy the place. Nothing was broken or vandalized - just dumped, and sifted through.
-I am thankful for our friends who were overly generous in offering us their car for the next two weeks (as our spare keys were also taken) so our cars will be safe until we move.
-I am thankful to all those people in our neighborhood who have stopped by expressing their concern and shock. Their kind words have helped to start building back something that was lost.
-I am thankful that my husband knew that immediately getting a new computer would help ease the pain. He was right - it has taken away some of the initial sting :).
-i am thankful for all the caring phonecalls from my friends offering sympathy, invitations to stay in their homes and offers to fly down to help me clean up (and to give me hugs).
-I am thankful that things are just things and we are so blessed to have all that we have.
-I am thankful we are all safe, healthy, and for the most part, happy.