A New Perspective

The tornadoes that have devastated the area almost three weeks ago now have given me the opportunity to see how life can change in an instant. I don't know how to convey all the feelings that I have. I went home to Mississippi this weekend, and I saw the county road I grew up on for the first time since the storms. It was really hard to see. The landscape that has been so familiar for 33 years is not totally devastated and changed forever.

My grandmother's house will be gone soon. The neighbors across the street have lost everything. The family on the other side also lost everything. It can be so hard to hear these stories.

However, the uplifting part of all of this recent tragedy has been seeing the outpouring of support from friends, family, and strangers. In nearly every yard on the road, there was a tractor trailer donated for use to store people's belongings that they were able to save. People finding places to stay while they try to rebuild their lives. Hearing stories of survival and my family being grateful that no one was home. Things could have been so much worse if these people would have been at home.

I know tragedies like this happen and people change for a short period of time. I am hoping that some of the things we are seeing in Mississippi and Alabama will continue for a lifetime. The things we are seeing are what makes the South such a great place to live. We love our neighbors, whether we know them or not. We see people in need and we turn out to help.

Just remember that no matter what you have done so far, there are people who are going to need help for a long time to come. We don't need to let these people be forgotten.