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I have been writing this post for 2 days. I can’t seem to find the right words. We have been in “survival mode” around here
for a couple of weeks. Mainly due to birthday/end
of school/church/dance/t-ball/other activities, compounded by the fact that we
are still not 100% settled in to the new digs, and just the day to day life of
being a large family. I really want to
come out of survival mode. I want the
last few boxes unpacked (we're at the point where daily we don't miss the stuff that's not unpacked, but when you go to look for something specific - like envelopes - they're still packed). I want the kids
immersed in their summer. I want Finn to
go to bed on his own and sleep all night (another post all in itself), and I
want the DVR at less than 60%. But after
this horrific week in Oklahoma, none of that matters. At all.
We are so blessed – BEYOND MEASURE – by the fact that we have a home,
warm beds, and all our comforts around us.
So many don’t.
The loss is unimaginable.
Not only of homes, businesses, cars, and physical “stuff,” but of lives,
memories, dreams and plans. Their entire
lives turned upside down in a matter of moments. Torn, literally, to shreds. As I watched the news and weather coverage on Monday afternoon via the
internet from my office 70 miles to the north, I knew this was a bad one. One like we hadn’t seen in a long time. We were pretty sure it wouldn’t come this far
north, but soon after The Big One “roped out” after destroying Moore, I had Nana the Wonder Sitter go
check the Big Dream Weaver kids out of school.
To get them home to our house where we have a basement. Since apparently, underground was the one way
to survive this atrocity. Luckily, it
never got much beyond rain here where we are.
I was glued to the TV/internet for the next 24 hours. I literally woke up the next morning in my
bed with tears in my eyes. Those poor
families. Entire neighborhoods. Communities.
SCHOOLS! Wiped away as if they were tinker toys in a child’s
playroom. And it’s not just Moore on
Monday. But Carney, Shawnee and others
on Sunday. There are smaller communities
on the front end of this monster from Monday like Newcastle. SO MUCH DESTRUCTION for this crazy spring
weather. I know we are PROUD to be
Oklahomans and we are STRONG and we rise together when times are tough. We will pull up by our boot straps and
REBUILD. And I know, “This ain’t our
first rodeo.” But it still hurts. Shakes us to the core. Overwhelms the senses.
The out pouring of love and support on EVERY level has been outstanding. There are so many relief items being donated
that they are trying to find places to house it all. They ask for 1,000 volunteers in a particular
location to make something happen, and 2,000 show up. The list of celebrity and large corporation
donations grows hourly. Local businesses
are providing services such as funerals, food, reduced price or free rentals
for housing. EVERYONE is offering money,
food, water, Gatorade, plastic bins, gloves, shovels, man power to get to the victims who
need it most. THIS is what it is to be
Oklahoman. This huge outpouring of love
and comfort is why I am proud to be born and raised here. In the homeland. Where, even if your home is blown away by an
EF5 tornado, you still call the land we belong to GRAND!
Here are a couple of things that have really touched me over
the last few days that I wanted to share.
A video or two, a photo comparison, and some essays. And a link to some free images you can use
for your facebook/twitter/instagram/whatever to show your support and love for
our great state.
Rally Moore Oklahoma- answers WHY we live here
(even if it is “Tornado Alley”)
Moore tornado: A personal note from Damon Lane
What was I thinking?
WE ARE OKLAHOMA!
It takes more than wind to break our stride…
It takes more than wind to break our stride…
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