Reflecting
Catch up time! Cold winter days are a good time to reflect. As I have been putting up my holiday decorations at the studio and at home I have been thinking about the many people locally who are not so fortunate this year. My niece is among many whose home was hit by the November 17th tornado and I know many others who have been displaced because of the destruction. To lose so much so quickly is mind-numbing.
The silver lining to this whirling cloud of destruction has been how the community and volunteers from near and far (many complete strangers) have pulled together to salvage what could be salvaged and clean up the tons of debris. If there’re is to be any good to come from this heart-breaking disaster, it is that the good in our fellow man shone through so brightly.
Just as other news fades, this will too, but it will remain fresh for those who lived through it until new homes are built or extensive repairs are made. We can all recall life-changing events, but time, and a return to normalcy will heal.
When I think back to April and the flood that closed the studio, I saw the same kind of community support. Sand-bagging with friends, family, and complete strangers was, in a strange way, a joyful experience. We were fortunate. The sandbags held the water back. Once again, however, thousands of others around the area received much damage. Many lost family treasures, and irreplaceables in their basements.
You learn what is truly important. Lives are what counts, not things.