Texas Strong
Image Source: @momolls
Texas Strong
It is hard to believe it has been more than a week since Hurricane Harvey made landfall and devastated Houston and surrounding cities. The hubs and I are located north of Houston and weren’t impacted as much as those south of us. We have many friends who lost everything and some who were lucky enough to have minimal to no damage.
It was beyond heartbreaking to watch the coverage on TV and social media knowing I couldn’t do anything to help. On several occasions I had to turn the news off and step away from social media. I saw friends posting every few minutes as they watched the water levels creep up to their homes. I read a Facebook status of an old friend who described how she felt as she prepared for rescue. She described the terrifying moment of writing her and her husband’s phone numbers with a Sharpie on their 5 kids in case they were swept away by the current or separated.
After the water began to recede the nerves and panic were replaced with confusion and inability to understand the devastation. Friends began to remove the damage from their homes with the help of family, friends, and strangers. I’ve seen countless pictures of possessions and debris stacked along neighborhood streets. I lack the words to describe the emptiness in my heart and the pit in my stomach. I cannot imagine the struggle and helplessness everyone is feeling as they return to their home and their community.
In all that has happened, the kindness and generosity of our citizens and neighbors is heartwarming to witness. It is a tragedy that something so devastating as a natural disaster is what it takes to bring out the best in people. This week people showed true compassion and a giving hand. I love that the blogging community used their platform as an influencer to help rapidly spread the word on ways to help. There are a million and one ways to help the areas affected and I encourage you to find the way(s) you want to help. Individuals are pointing the finger at organizations they feel do not give enough of funds received to the affected areas. There has been a lot of criticism about celebrities not doing anything or doing too little. To that I say, do your research and make your decisions how you feel most comfortable.
This is not a recovery that will take a week or a month, this recovery will take a year or more. It will be a long road, but if anyone can accomplish it, it’s Texas!
Until next post…xoxo Becca
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