A time to rebuild.

I haven’t had the creative urge to write lately – call it writers block if you will – but in the recent weeks, there has been such tragedy in the world and in our own backyard of Springfield, Massachusetts, it makes writing not that important. The massive and devastating tornado in Joplin Missouri, the destructive tornadoes across the south, deadly E. coli in Europe and great violence in the Middle East. The tornado that plowed through Western Massachusetts, killing four people and injuring over forty, and tearing apart a city and small surrounding towns, seems so miniscule compared to what is happening in the rest of the world but it is still a tragedy and one that should be acknowledged. 

Tuesday night as I was driving to Granville, Massachusetts - on my way to my parent’s house -  I took a deep breath and inhaled the smell of cow manure and the country air. I thought to myself as I was driving, what a peaceful place this small town is. No street lights. No shopping plazas. No highways. No loud noises. As we were eating dinner, we teased my father about a tornado warning when we were little that made him so nervous he sent us to our grandparents. “Have you ever seen a tornado?” my father questioned, “trust me, you don’t want to.” My sister, brother and I laughed and said, “Since when do we get tornadoes in Granville?” Well it wasn’t in Granville, but it wasn’t too far from it either. The following night we learned a valuable lesson, we do indeed have tornadoes in Western Massachusetts. They might not be as powerful as the tornadoes down south, but it wreaked havoc on the towns in its path.

A colleague of mine lost everything. No house. No car. No clothes. Not even a pair of shoes. It was as if a giant broom just swept it away. Luckily he made it to his basement in time and his life was saved as his house blew away over him. It is comforting to know that I work in a place where people are so incredibly giving and compassionate. By noon, over a thousand dollars was raised for him to get back on his feet from this disaster. He is not the only person this happened to though and it saddens me to think of what people are going through during this terrible time.

Appreciate the things you have. The roof over your head, the car you drive as you please, the clothes on your back. This natural disaster forces us to work together and help those in need when they have literally lost everything. We see the good in people. You can rebuild, you can start over and buy new clothes but you can’t do it alone. With all of the tragedy in the world,  something good can come from it. You learn that you have a shoulder to lean on and a few extra hands to help you rebuild your life.