This has been a sad week for our friends and family in Texas. Hurricane Harvey has left a trail of devastating destruction that runs deep and beyond the Lone State state. Many if not all of us have been touched in some way. Some of our readers may be from Texas. I am sure many of us know someone personally who is experiencing this disaster. In our weekly staff meeting for the Family History Guide, it was suggested I post about Hurricane Harvey today and ask readers to share their stories. Here's is my story!
I have cousins that live in Katy, Texas. They own a business that required evaluation of some elderly people to get them to safety. Their business has severe damage. Their home at this time is safe. They have children and grandchildren there. All are safe but the worry has been real. We have long time friends that just barely moved to Houston. They bought a brand new home and worried a lot as the water inched closer and closer to them. They too are safe at this time. They have certainly all had our prayers along with everyone else that is there.
The most poignant thing that happened as I sat comfortably in our California home, was a text I got from my good friend, Lee, who also lives near us in California. She told me of the danger their daughter and her family were facing earlier Sunday night in Houston.
Their street looked like a raging river coming half way up their lawn and in the distance a huge tornado was heading their way. So her daughter, her husband and their two children were crouching down under their staircase feeling quite panic stricken. They couldn't leave and they didn't want to stay. To flee was not an option so they stayed and I'm sure, prayed. The danger was eventually averted as the tornado thankfully took a different path. What passed through their minds as they waited can only be imagined. The worry took its toll on everyone, parents, kids and grandparents. That part was over but the threat of flooding remained and that was the night it rained more than ever. The thought of this and the fact that it was happening to 6 million people was overwhelming.
Later that night I stayed with my friend via text well past midnight. We both went to the same weather channel and we texted back and forth on our phones about what we saw. I couldn't leave her because I knew exactly how she felt. I could empathize as much a sympathize.
Our daughter and her little family lived right on the Gulf in Long Beach, Mississippi when Katrina came along. Laura's husband was deployed and there she was with two little boys alone. She was such a brave young mother. They escaped the wrath of Katrina by evacuating to northern Mississippi where some former neighbors of ours live. It is a good thing they followed the instructions to all to leave home, as landfall was less then ten miles from their house when it touched down. The Breedlove family took our kids in and treated them like their own for a week until they could fly home to us.
So Harvey brought back all the memories and feelings of terror that I had felt. Ironically, it was Lee who sat with me and watched the reports one whole day at her house as Katrina raged on near our kids. Two mothers who have sat helplessly by, while these things happened to their friend's precious children and grandchildren, have to share a bond that deepens that friendship in ways nothing else could.
We worry about the loss of property, the devastation, the flooding but the deeper concern is loss of life for our loved ones. These natural disasters remind us of what is most important and that is people. Things are important too, but people are more so. Still our hearts ache for those who have lost material things and have so much rebuilding ahead of them. As they all pull together they will build new friendships along the way. A sliver lining is in a great big mess most of the time! God bless you Texas and all your people! May you receive all the assistance and help that you need is our prayer.
Do you have a story to share? Maybe even one you can record for your family history on Family Search/Family Tree? See www.thefhguide.com Project 2: Memories. Your courage or that of someone you know, will help someone else.
