Stormy Weather

It's been nearly two years since Katrina changed so many lives, challenged our government and strained our economy. Let's hope we are ready this year and have learned something.

I remember Katrina each year because without any doubt, it changed my personal view on how quickly things can change, no matter who you are. Because no matter who you are, or how careful you consider each decision you make, each time, every day, in the end, it may not matter. Because control is governed by nature. Control is a myth. You have no control over what happens in your body or what happens when a Hurricane comes to town with a bead on your home.

I spent two weeks in 2005 building a "Mash-type" restaurant and cooking for thousands of strangers where water surged over 30 feet, leaving boats in trees and houses blocks away from their foundations. I met and fed soldiers, ministers, mechanics, doctors, volunteers, police, firemen, the homeless, even FEMA. All were thankful for a hot meal on a devistated corner, where we had the only light shining. We were the new town center at Pass Christian, Miss for a bit, where friends and family would meet, check fingers and toes and rediscover the true meaning of grace.

I am truly grateful for this way-out-of-my-comfort-zone experience that I was volunteered for. It really is my personal thanksgiving day...because I remember how much a Cheeseburger with bacon meant to so many, how grateful they were to have it and how awfully good it felt to be there, doing that, for them.

Katrina changed my view of control, of loss and what matters most. If you have the opportunity to help others during a crisis, selflessly, you will never be the same person after...I guarantee it.

Volunteer