BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE

I am afraid of fire. I am VERY afraid of fire. I am VERY DEATHLY afraid of fire!

I have no real reason to fear fire as much as I do, but I have this over whelming fear that I will someday burn to death in a fire. My mom has teased me in the past saying that I was probably a witch burned at the stake in a previous life.

I am so afraid of fire that I flunked the test in girl scouts on camp fire building. I just couldn't do it.

Last night was a bad night for me.

I live in a very rural area were all my neighbors burn one thing or another. Trash, coal, wood ... We even have a coal furnace in our basement to heat the house.

I woke up every hour because I swore the house was on fire because of the smokey smell in my bedroom. After the 4th time of getting up and searching the whole house, attic to basement. Front door to back and wandering around outside I gave up and drifted off to sleep for 2 straight hours. The alarm went off at 6 am and I switched on the light to find my awesome husband had brought his work coveralls up to our bedroom and this was what I was smelling. He had worn them the last time he was burning trash out back and they smelled just like a camp fire.

I was soooo mad. Not at him but at myself. We have smoke alarms. We have LOTS of smoke alarms. Why didn't I trust them enough to get a good nights sleep?

I hate to admit it but this isn't the first time I have had a sleepless night or even a peacefully day. I have driven my kids, husband, friends and even the fire department crazy with my fear of fire.

I have no clue, short of going to a shrink, how to overcome this fear. ANYone have any ideas??

~Just Me