Lessons from the Tragedy

In the aftermath of two major hurricanes I have been mindful of the people I met during the relief effort of the Flood of 1993. It seems like a lifetime ago when I worked with The Salvation Army to help clean out the homes of people who were flooded with the mud and mire that ravaged their houses.

I remember taking the personal items from the home of an elderly gentleman’s house and feeling so bad for him. He had lost everything. He and I sat on the front porch of what was left of his home and looked into a box that contained a wooden mask that he had been given from a member of the Japanese Royal Family after World War II.

As he pulled it from the box and told me the story, it fell into several pieces. My heart sank and I wanted to restore it for him but there was nothing I could do. I had tears in my eyes as I stammered for the words to say that hopefully would comfort him. I was at a total loss of what to say at that moment.

He looked at me with a smile and said, “Wonderful memories! And the good thing is that when the memories flood my mind they don’t fall apart, they just get stronger.”

Wow! Here was a man that knew that happiness depends on happenings but that true joy can not be taken away, even by the flood waters. As I have watched the coverage of the past few weeks I have seen the evidence of that same spirit in many people whose lives have been turned upside down by the storms.

Life is too short to live grumpy!

Please help The Salvation Army provide care for those hit by the Hurricane. Visit: Hurricane Relief- The Salvation Army