Tornado

kimmiecfields (55)in #steemitbloggers • 8 years ago (edited)

Back in November, 2013 our area where we live and own our businesses had several devastating tornadoes. My husband was in one of the towns (Pekin, IL) and saw one of the tornadoes form. I was working at an event in Danville, IL when the sirens went off and took shelter in a basement just as the power failed. Both of those communities suffered damage and we both made it home safely.

One of our staff members in Pekin lost their home and one in Danville lost a vehicle to a flying tree but otherwise, all are safe and sound.

Our group of local franchise owners, was fortunate enough to be able to help in a small way by raising money for the Red Cross Tornado Relief and to serve hot pizzas to the victims and volunteers. This put us right in the heart of the destruction (Washington, IL) and truly demonstrated to me what being thankful is really about.

That's me in the red jacket, with our business partners.

It is impossible to describe the impact of this through words or pictures. I compare it to the first time I saw the Grand Canyon in person. One sees pictures and video and hear others describe it, but you don’t really understand it’s beauty and power until you see it yourself. The same with tornado destruction. It is like being in a war zone – clothes in trees, toys strewn about, furniture twisted and broken, cars totally smashed and upside down or piled on top of each other, and insulation torn from the houses coating everything.

As we drove and walked through the devastation, I was able to understand the power of Mother Nature a bit. But what truly amazed me was the beauty and power of the Human Spirit.

Thousands of people lost their homes, hundreds were injured and some lost their lives to the storms but everyone we met was upbeat and positive that they would make it through this horrible event and be better for it. Everyone was working together to help cleanup, feed and shelter those in need. One young couple, whose house only suffered some pretty major roof damage, pulled their grill out of the garage and rolled it down to the Lutheran Church’s parking lot where the Disaster Relief Center was being set up. They went to the store and bought 25 pounds of hot dogs and started cooking and giving them away. They ended up getting a 2nd grill, and a tent loaned to them from a local grocery store and haven’t had to purchase any more food or drink as others had opened their hearts and wallets and donated it all.

Delicate lace blowing in the wind

We experienced the same thing as we moved from place to place serving pizzas out of a trailer loaned to us, and driven and manned by some fellow franchisees in Kansas. The local Ace Hardware donated the propane for the ovens, and others donated plates, cups, soft drinks and money to help us with our efforts.

These tornado's came through right before Thanksgiving, and I couldn't help but to think about those who will be eating alongside several hundred of their neighbors in a makeshift dining area as their homes and other possessions are loaded in a dumpster.

But I knew each and every one of them is thankful for it. They are thankful to have survived, thankful that, for the most part, their neighbors, friends, and family have also survived and thankful for the food, shelter and assistance they receive from perfect strangers, some of whom had traveled hundreds or thousands of miles to help without thought of personal gain or inconvenience. The young man, who drove our food trailer to us from Topeka Kansas, is one of these people. He is a trained Search and Rescue EMT and just got in his truck and drove. He didn’t know where he was going to stay, how he would eat or who would pay for the gas. He helped us run the trailer, helped the other professionals running skid loaders to remove debris and even went out on ambulance calls at night with the paramedics at the local fire station where he stayed for several nights.

Words and pictures. I said they can’t truly describe this but they are all I have.

Just a reminder to be thankful for today and take some time to reflect on what is really important in our lives. Certainly, it has made me re-evaluate what is important in mine.

Know Joy - All I can say is you have to find Joy!