Looking back to see forward.

Sometimes it gets a bit old to keep rehashing things of the past. Today was the sixth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall on the Gulf Coast. I thought about just passing this by without any recognition whatsoever but then in retrospect of what the East Coast has just endured with Hurricane Irene, I decided to it was needed. Not so much as to bring up memories of what we here in Biloxi went through with the sheer devastation but as encouragement to those facing a similar ordeal...it does get better. What seems like a total loss at the moment can become a blessing merely because you realize with what all you have lost..you have gained. Destruction of this sort can give you a view of your life like no other. It proves to you what is important..life..not material items. It proves to you what love and kindness are..from total strangers..and that the world is not necessarily in a downward spiral. It proves that courage..and prayers..can carry you through even the worst moments..not riches. Somehow, life goes on..things get better..and a new normal takes hold.

Before the storm hit, we were faced with the difficult decision of whether to evacuate or not. We had always stayed and faced storms in the past. I knew that my two brothers would never leave and that played a huge part in our decision to stay. It would be better if we all stayed on the hill and be there to help one another. Despite constant urging from family and friends, our plan was made to ride out the worst storm to ever hit the area. I have a motto that I follow with each storm.."Prepare for the worst and pray for the best." This had always carried us through in the past..we would depend on it to do so once again. My husband and son worked hard to secure our home and in effect our lives. On the morning of August 29, 2005, we prayed. About daybreak, I received a phone call from my oldest son. He is in the Army National Guard and was deployed in Iraq at the time. With this call, he urged us to leave..they were all watching the storm and knew it did not bode well for us. I assured him we would be fine and that there was no possible route to leave as the water was already well over the roadways. We were in this for the long haul..we just had no idea how heavy of a haul it would be. When we said our "I love yous", I thought of how ironic it was that we were both so worried about each other's safety even though we were a world apart and were facing such different dangers. It was at that point that I decided to write a letter to him detailing the storm as it happened. Every half hour or so, I made another entry in the letter and would then seal the letter in a plastic bag. This bag was placed on the highest shelf in our dining room and weighted down with a heavy bookend. A precaution that proved to be needless, but at the time, I was unsure of just the severity of the tidal surge.

As the day progressed, we listened as the wind picked up to a constant roar. To hear each other speak, we had to yell even though we were within arm's reach. The Little Bayou House would shake with the passing of each tornado. It creaked and groaned with the constant pressure of the fierce winds. Loud crashes startled us as three trees fell on our rooftop..one almost ripping the added laundry room from the house. We watched as the water crept closer and closer to the Little Bayou House. Waves started hitting the house as I was talking on the telephone to my niece..I told her to pray..pray hard. Never before had the water been this high..hopefully never again will it be. The brother that lives next door called to tell us to watch the flood level. If it got six inches higher, he told us to tie ourselves together and make our way to one of his large boats, "The Pirate Lady". He had it parked at the end of our driveway on a trailer. We would be safe there. Hubby had the foresight to buy ropes and bring in the life preservers from our small boat just in case we needed them. I called my other brother..he told me that he and his dog were safe. He was holding his door closed against the pressure of the waves but everything was ok. Then I heard him say a few "colorful" words and the phone went dead. I worried. There was no getting to him as the raging winds had knocked trees down virtually building a wall between our house and his..we would have to wait. At this point, I could stand it no longer..the Little Bayou House seemed to be shaking uncontrollably from the winds but it also seemed to be constricting me to where I could not breathe. My husband said that the winds had changed direction..we had passed through the worst of the storm. Knowing that I would be alee of the winds, I cautiously opened the back door and stepped onto the deck. I felt the sting of the salt air against my face as I stood in awe of the power of Nature. Huge waves were being driven over the tops of the Live Oak trees near the marsh edge. I watched as furniture, appliances, boats, and entire walls from destroyed houses washed through the Bayou and slammed into The Little Bayou House.  I was amazed..I had never seen anything like this before. All I could think of at the moment was.."We are alive..I wonder how many poor souls were lost." The Little Bayou House stood..it was battered and bruised but had survived. We, along with both of my brothers, were some of the fortunate..we still had our lives and our homes even if the houses were ravaged by the storm winds.

Hurricane Katrina proved to be the most devastating storm to ever hit the Mississippi Coast. The utter destruction was heartbreaking to say the least..the loss of life intolerable. Biloxi would not be the same..gone were most of the Antebellum homes that gave this town its ambiance. Gone were the old oak trees filled with Spanish Moss that were the epitome of the Old South. Gone were so many of the people that were the heart of the town. It was sad..and the people prayed. Not only did the people of Biloxi and surrounding areas pray but we got up and started work. There were mounds of debris to be cleared..there were houses to rebuild..there was a city to recreate. With the amazing help from perfect strangers that came, sent money, gave food and supplies, we were able to start again. It was and still is a huge job in progress but it is progress. Things do get better. Along the way, we have all become better merely through the fact that we all reached out..we helped one another and received blessings along the way. People gathered to share a meal in a makeshift "diner" in the yard.  They gathered to pray and give support.  They gathered to work. The fellowship shared after a disaster is like none other. From it all, we learned that we will survive..and, hopefully, so shall others facing the ravages of hurricanes.

As an added note...I mentioned that my son was in Iraq during Hurricane Katrina. The day he left to go, I had tied two yellow ribbons around the Live Oak trees flanking the driveway. The first thing that I noticed once we were able to survey the damage after the storm..two yellow ribbons..tattered and torn but still tied to the trees. Katrina had not taken the hope, prayers and love that was tied with those ribbons. I knew then that he, like us, would be ok. Happy to say this bore true! (It is hard to see, but in the above picture, one of the ribbons is tied to the oak tree on the left right near the pole holding the yellow makeshift awning. The yellow ribbon that brought hope held proud!)