I woke up Monday afternoon after a long night shift on Sunday to an iPhone of CNN updates about a major twister striking Moore, Oklahoma. My heart sunk. My initial reaction was to think "Poor Moore." It seems that every time a tornado hits Oklahoma, it hits Moore. Can that poor suburb catch a break?
I turned on the TV and the images blew me away. Growing up in Oklahoma tornado watches or warnings didn't really phase me. It was a chance to clean the luggage out of the closet under the stairs and hide in there with my sister while Daddy stood on the porch watching the sky and Momma yelled at him to get back in the house. My house was never hit, none of my friends or family were ever affected directly by one--I have always known tornadoes were devastating and I've seen plenty of damage they cause, but the footage I have seen this past week has been the worst I've ever seen.
Thankfully my parents live in eastern Oklahoma (also where my grandfather is now) and my sister lives about 10 miles south of Moore, so I was fairly confident everyone in my family was safe. I have several friends in the area so I immediately started texting them and checking Facebook for status updates to tell me they were OK. Thankfully, I have escaped another tornado without anyone close to me being affected. However, I have several acquaintances who have lost their homes completely or had damage to their homes or businesses.
I also knew that Oklahomans would immediately come together and help our own. Our great state has shown this time and time again--when faced with tragedy, we always come out on the other side stronger and better with the help of our family and friends. Oklahomans are a resilient bunch. I'm so proud to be one, and I hate being away from my great state during times like this. After living so many places, it is and always will be my home. And to quote Jason Boland and the Stragglers...."If I ever get back to Oklahoma, gonna nail my feet to the ground...." Sorry, Alex.
Keep praying and sending positive juju to everyone in Oklahoma and across the country who are touched by the devastation of this storm.
And if you haven't been blessed enough to go to God's Country--add it to your places to go before you die list.
I turned on the TV and the images blew me away. Growing up in Oklahoma tornado watches or warnings didn't really phase me. It was a chance to clean the luggage out of the closet under the stairs and hide in there with my sister while Daddy stood on the porch watching the sky and Momma yelled at him to get back in the house. My house was never hit, none of my friends or family were ever affected directly by one--I have always known tornadoes were devastating and I've seen plenty of damage they cause, but the footage I have seen this past week has been the worst I've ever seen.
Thankfully my parents live in eastern Oklahoma (also where my grandfather is now) and my sister lives about 10 miles south of Moore, so I was fairly confident everyone in my family was safe. I have several friends in the area so I immediately started texting them and checking Facebook for status updates to tell me they were OK. Thankfully, I have escaped another tornado without anyone close to me being affected. However, I have several acquaintances who have lost their homes completely or had damage to their homes or businesses.
I also knew that Oklahomans would immediately come together and help our own. Our great state has shown this time and time again--when faced with tragedy, we always come out on the other side stronger and better with the help of our family and friends. Oklahomans are a resilient bunch. I'm so proud to be one, and I hate being away from my great state during times like this. After living so many places, it is and always will be my home. And to quote Jason Boland and the Stragglers...."If I ever get back to Oklahoma, gonna nail my feet to the ground...." Sorry, Alex.
Keep praying and sending positive juju to everyone in Oklahoma and across the country who are touched by the devastation of this storm.
And if you haven't been blessed enough to go to God's Country--add it to your places to go before you die list.
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