Thursday, April 28, 2011

Fragile


Today's reports of the storms down south (yet again) remind us all how quickly things can change.  My friend Gary Franklin, and his beautiful family live in the Tuscaloosa area, and I was thankful to hear that they were spared by the tornadoes that ripped through his and other states.  But so many families weren't so lucky, and my heart goes out to them.

In my career as a writer, I have had the opportunity to meet two families who had their homes destroyed by tornadoes, and the trauma and loss they suffered stays with me to this day.  I remember one woman telling me how, even after the tornado was long gone, they had to sit vigil at their home so that looters and other people wanting to snap pictures or even wander around, would leave them alone.  I saw on the news that some of the people affected by recent storms have been going through the same painful process.



Human nature puzzles me much of the time.  Can you imagine going to someone's house in hopes of finding their precious heirlooms or jewelry in and amongst the rubble that was once their home?!  It just goes to show that some people don't have a heart or a conscience if they could actually do something like that to someone who has lost so much.

Today, as I worked on my website and other stuff, I found I was much less likely to get frustrated at all of the little things that weren't going right.  I think the news reports helped remind me that in an instant what we know as normal can be flipped on it's head.  Life is fragile friends, and I hope those affected will find a way to pick up the shattered pieces and move on the way the families in my stories did.  Theirs was a happy ending, where tragedy became triumph and where they appreciate every day just that much more!

13 comments:

  1. So true Kat. My heart goes out to the people who lost their homes in the tornadoes - it certainly does serve as a wake-up call to the rest of us as to what is important.

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  2. I forgot to say that I found that first photo just mesmerizing with all its layers of texture.

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  3. My neighbors tree came smashing through their house today smashing windows and cracking through the roof. Luckily they were in the front room and didn;t get hit. She was badly shaken though. Prayers for all of those in the affected areas.

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  4. Beautifully written. We were lucky, too and didn't have any bad storms here. They stayed about an hour from us.We stayed up late until it was safe to sleep. Now, don't go and blow that dandelion because I have more than enough of those and have to start digging them up!

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  5. Blowies...delicate & fragile just as the lives of those affected. May they find peace & healing through this terrible ordeal.

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  6. So well said, Kat. It's really devastating what has been happening around the world lately.

    Your photos are absolutely brilliant, my friend!

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  7. My niece and her family live in Tuscaloosa and thankfully escaped unharmed, too...I feel so bad for all affected...Your photos are just stunning, Kat!

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  8. Of course we also heard this terrible news. It is incomprehensible that others want to profit from the suffering of someone who just completely has lost his house!

    We have no control over nature and that makes the earth fragile. That's why we have to enjoy every day!

    You have written beautiful words!

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  9. I am so relieved your friends are alright. Everything you wrote is so true. Life is so uncertain...we have to seize each and every day.

    XO,
    Jane

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  10. We have some flooding here, but no major destruction like where the tornadoes touched down. My heart goes out to those affected by them. I'll never understand the mindset of a looter or those others that choose to profit over someone else's suffering. Beautifully written. Thanks for posting.

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  11. We lost quite a lot in the 1970's with a flood and that has never really left me. At that time I realized things were just things but my family was precious. I pray that all those affected will be able to find some joy in their lives.

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  12. Some people are the scum of the earth, aren't they? Glad to hear your friends were spared in Tuscaloosa, Kat.

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  13. Your images really do illustrate how fragile life can be Kat. Very scary to go through a tornado, but then the devastation of losing everything so suddenly is so hard to imagine. So glad your friends came through it okay. xo ~Lili

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