It is 1:28 a.m. on May 12 and the phone rings. I jump from a sound sleep to find out who is calling.

From my experience, late-night phone calls mean one thing: something terrible has happened.

The voice on the other end of the line relays that my mother’s house in Natchez is on fire, and emergency personnel have already been dispatched.

By God’s Grace, my mother, Delphine Prestridge, answered that dreaded phone call, for she was at my house that night — a last-minute decision was made to come visit a few of her grandchildren.

Since receiving that phone call, details of the events that followed have been a blur. The shock and disbelief that such a tragedy could occur to someone so close to me, especially my mother, is difficult to process.

Unfortunately, the damage was beyond what we expected. The fire engulfed the house, and the result was a severe loss. However, enduring such an event has opened doors to enable our family to see exactly how unique our Natchez community is. Roots run deep and families from various backgrounds are interwoven. The immense kindness and outpouring of love and prayers has carried my mother since that life-changing night. Because of her faith in God and her ability to trust His Plan, my mother, in her sadness, has continued hope for healing and recovery.

The unsung heroes that night were members of the Natchez Fire Department. They worked diligently to contain the fire, salvage what was possible, and offer support to my mother. It was evident that the night of the fire was not “just another day at work.” I witnessed the men on site displaying compassion for my mother during such a tragic moment.

My mother, my sisters Dane Prestridge Mallette, Jenny Prestridge Anderson and Leigh Prestridge Hinton, and I would like to offer a sincere word of thanks for the members of the Natchez Fire Department. Thank you for what you do, and thank you to your family members for understanding that you do much more than fight fires. You give families like ours hope. A special thank you also goes to each neighbor, friend, and relative who stood beside my mother into the early morning hours. Your presence has meant more than you realize.

Finally, a very heartfelt thank you goes to Conner Burns, for the consistent communication throughout the night, for the compassion for my mother’s loss, for donating time after work hours, and for providing irreplaceable guidance. You have been invaluable to my mother, my sisters and myself.

May God continue to bless this home we call Natchez.

Amy Prestridge Mattox, Hattiesburg