YOU NEVER KNOW HOW STRONG YOU ARE UNTIL STRONG IS THE ONLY CHOICE YOU HAVE

I haven't been blogging lately.  Lots of FFA (please see blog of  August 12th).  I cannot escape it...IT being the five year anniversary of Katrina.  It is everywhere (and I am not turning on the television).  In my perfect world, they would never mention Katrina again, as it is baddddd memories for me.

New Orleans Underwater

Because of Katrina, I left my job of 31 years with FJH. I miss him.  Not the work, but seeing him everyday and talking with JKH everyday. Because of Katrina I lost my family home.  You might say it was just a house, but it was our family gathering place.  It's where we went on holidays and spent Christmas and visited with Mom and each other.  Talk about feeling like an orphan at 54 years of age!  Because of Katrina, I lost my mom. This is literally not true.  (I blame Katrina for everything).  If I am going to be honest, she was in poor health before the storm, but I blame Katrina for everything.

But I have to look at the good things that came because of Katrina. 

My friends and the entire City of Houston reacted instantly and there was such an outpouring of generosity, I will never forget it.  Clothes, food, everyday articles......my garage was packed.  And my sister in law, Missy moved  in with me for 4 months.  We became sisters.  She is the kindest, most wonderful person and to this day says that she has a guilty feeling about Katrina because she was so blessed.  She had a great place to live, wonderful clothes (ala Susan, Lee and Claudia) and was given a car by the people she worked with.  (She doesn't even consider how she had to live in a trailer when she returned to New Orleans for 8 months with her husband, son, 3 dogs and a bird and let me tell you, those trailers were SMALL).  I want her outlook.  Because of Katrina I now live in a City with both of my sisters.  We play cards, go to the show and talk almost every day.  We are blessed.  Because of Katrina we were with Mom for a year before she died and got to spend every day with her.

Siblings Jeff, Deborah, Me, Rhett and John

Katrina helped me to grow up and take responsibility for things I always thought my parents would handle.  Even though my parents died years  ago, it is just lately that I realize that I am in charge of my life and they are not here.  Weird, but like they say "You never know how strong you are until strong is the only choice you have".