Hurricane Katrina

“My wife…I can’t find her body….she told me to take care of the kids and the grandkids”

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, we can all see the devastation and the fury that mother nature unleashes when she’s at her bitchy-est best. Of all the stories I have heard so far the man who made the statement above stood out in my mind. His words, without slick verbose, without thought, only with heart, overwhelmed me. He was frantically speaking to the news anchorperson describing the last time he spoke to his wife before the raging floodwaters carried her away from him, possibly the last time he will ever see her. It was clear that he still had the desire and will to find her as he hurriedly told his tale, each word pulling and tugging at my soul as if there were an axe breaking down all of my senses. It was then that I broke down and cried. I cried for this man who can’t find his wife. I don’t know him, but I feel him. Innately. It is that human bond that connects us to everyone on this planet that made me feel this way. I can’t imagine the sheer panic and distress that the people of Louisiana and Mississippi are facing. There are no words to describe the feeling that burns through the core of your existence when you hear of a tragedy such as this.

From the fights, fires, police presence, no water, no electricity and most importantly NO PLACE TO LIVE and LOST FAMILY MEMBERS……. What would we do? The answer is: the best you can. The images are like that of a nuclear bomb having been dropped on an unsuspecting populous. Homes, businesses, schools and churches all gone. The incalculable, priceless memories that are the tapestry that form the whole of peoples lives. Gone. You see bridges demolished, nothing left but the steel beams sticking out of the water. You see cars that have floated together, left to fend for themselves in piles, one atop another. You see the tears and you feel the anguish and the desperation and the heartbreak.

These situations put EVERYONE in a “survival of the fittest” mode. There is no concern about what to make for dinner, what to get Johnny for his birthday, what time your wife is getting home…. Concerns are basic. Food. Water. Shelter. Making sure loved ones are accounted for.

The hospitals are overwhelmed and are trying to evacuate. The Astrodome in Houston will be full soon. People are scattering trying to hold onto anything that they consider valuable, their lives and the lives of loved ones. There are no toilets, no place to sleep. And in a minute, the dead will begin to tell their tale. The smell will begin to arrive. When I think of all of the devastation it overwhelms me. I do not have any family in the Louisiana/Mississippi area, but my mother lives just north of Miami, so I have had this type of concern before. Just last year, she was in harms way and it was all I could do to keep it together. For real. My Mom’s been there for 18 years and I wish everyday that she’d agree to move farther away from the “hurricane zone” preferably closer to me. But that has not come to pass. Personally I think she thinks “oh, Robyn, don’t’ worry…..it won’t reach ME” or maybe she thinks “I’ll be O.K.”. She’s always been a brave, spunky lil thing and I just pray that she never faces the wrath of a hurricane such as this. It’s simply surreal.

“my wife..I can’t find her body….she told me to take care of the kids and the grandkids….”

This will be burned into my memory for a long time to come.

Peace and Blessing to those in all the affected areas.