It's taken me awhile to even want to blog again after the horrific damage left by the 8 tornadoes that tore through here and many other parts of Alabama last Wednesday week (27 April). But life does go on, and time eventually does at least soothe wounds, if not heal them outright.
First of all, I have to thank God for deliverance from the paths of so many tornadoes in such a concentrated area. The only thing any of our entire family lost was power/electricity for five days, which is so minute compared to what others lost. The stories are mind boggling, and continue to filter out from the volunteers who are working so valiantly to restore some semblance of order to those less fortunate.
Volunteers poured in, outnumbering the requests for help! And many refused to ask for help because they were concerned for others they believed were "worse off" than they were! Amid the tears of sadness, one couldn't help but feel proud and humbled to be a part of such a wonderful community, and I'm told this scenario is playing out throughout the entire state! Sweet Home Alabama!
Of course, life will never be the same for many. One family lost five members from the nine who were huddled together in the "safe zone" of their home. A mother had her baby ripped from her arms, only to be found later, dead. Surely few things are more cruel, knowing your child is dead while you live, when you were both so close together at the end.
Amazingly enough though, despite the huge amount of destruction everywhere, relatively few were killed. The media and local newspapers carry full page photos of entire communities that show only the concrete outlines of where houses stood. Where I work, a man who had turned in his retirement papers the day before and was planning on heading to Florida, lost everything save his most precious possession - his family. They all survived!
As always in these types of events, it served to remind us once again how fragile life really is and how easily everything can be lost in the blink of an eye. So please - go hug your child, your spouse, your loved ones....and tell them how much they mean to you. You'll be glad you did.
May God Bless, Jan
