Watching History Burn

Yesterday, I, along with millions around the world, watched footage and live video of the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris engulfed in flames.

And it made me sad.

To think: something so beautiful, so old (850 years!), and so full of history, both religious and otherwise, could be destroyed in a few hours. It's devastating -- to the city, the country, the Catholic Church.

There are a few silver linings here, though:

• Miraculously, the fire started shortly after tourists and visitors left for the day. 
• Not one person was hurt or harmed. 
• Some relics and art pieces were salvaged and brought to the Louvre for eventual restoration. 
• And the front of the Cathedral, the bell towers and the rose window, were spared.

The fire appears to have been an accident. And that is a big comfort, as Paris has seen its share of terrorist attacks in the past few years. Already, some of France's top billionaires have said they would donate hundreds of millions of dollars to repair the famed Cathedral, a job that will likely take over a decade, although the President wants it done in 5 years.

But this accident and sudden loss of history is yet another reminder that life is fleeting -- what's here one day may not be here the next. We must not only seize the opportunity to explore the world and appreciate the beauty (both natural and human-created) that exists around us, but also pay attention and time to the people that are in our lives because those relationships are just as precious.

My children will never see the Notre Dame Cathedral I saw back in 2005. We watched history burn yesterday. But today is a new day, and another chance to start a new chapter.