Be Grateful for What You Have, It Could Be Gone in a Flash

Tweet

In late June of 2016, my home state of West Virginia suffered a severe flood. Homes were destroyed. Lives were lost. One person is still missing. More than 500 people were stranded in a mall because of roads being washed out. Forty-four counties were declared a state of emergency. Reading the stories of those who survived is heartbreaking. People were on roofs waiting for help throughout the dark of night and into the next day. Some were in trees, not knowing how long they could hold on. One story that tore at my heart was a family who barely held their heads above water, waving a flashlight in the dark waiting for help. A distance from them was an elderly man yelling for help and then...only silence. The elderly man succumbed to the raging waters. The silence of the elderly man still echoes in the family's mind. The pictures, the videos only tell a small part of the devastation. They do not show the full, emotional devastation the people of West Virginia are facing. I've seen videos and pictures of homes floating away and homes completely washed off their foundations. I've seen cars overturned by the waters and toys and memorabilia scattered about. Everything people worked for and every memento, gone. Many flood victims are without homes and are sleeping in tents or at shelters. Some homes were completely destroyed and some are not inhabitable until they are completely cleaned and sanitized. This could take weeks or months. On a brighter note, individuals and organizations stepped in to help immediately. Businesses from out of state started bringing loads of supplies. The abundance of love and support shown in this disaster makes me proud to be a West Virginian. I've seen West Virginians who have very little, give a lot. Brad Paisley, a West Virginia native started a Go Fund Me account with a goal to reach one million dollars to help flood victims. The last I checked, the goal is over halfway met. Be grateful for what you have. Everything you have could be gone in a flash. Photo credit: Public Domain photo, Pixabay - Beautiful West Virginia