Ike.

I write this while sitting in the dark using the little battery life my laptop has left. I will post it once I can steal an internet connection from some lucky soul.

We are still without power and a return to normalcy seems just outside of arm's reach. Right now being without power is as bad as it is for us, so we are lucky. We are just 1 of almost 2 million, so we are not alone. Unlucky are those who lost everything. My parents live on the Texas coast, one block from the beach of Galveston Bay. Or should I say they 'lived' there. My dad decided to stay and weather the storm. Once it was all said and done, I would consider him to be of that later group; lucky to be alive, but in most other ways - unlucky.

He called at some point over the weekend after the storm had passed, although right now my days are running together so I'm not sure when the call came. During the course of that phone call the only thing I remember was him saying "it is gone, everything is gone". Ike rolled in and swallowed my parent's house and car and in that moment stole 47 years of a man's life. Yes houses and cars and their contents are replaceable, they are mere material belongings, but you can't help but think about everything you have and how you would feel if it were gone in an instant. Every photo, every gift, anything you have clung to for sentimental value...gone.

There are times in your life when you see something and it is forever burned into your mind. You look back at that image and see life as it was exactly in that moment. Most of the time those are good memories, or at least you hope those are the ones that get engraved, but every once in a while you see an image that changes you and no matter how you try you can't force it out of your brain. I will never be able to erase the snapshot my brain took when my dad walked into my house. Yes he is the same man, but he is changed. His eyes were blank and wearing nothing but shorts, a ragged t-shirt and work boots, he carried what was left of his belongings in a plastic grocery bag. His entire 47 years in a half filled, white, plastic Walgreens bag.

My mother lost just as much as my father but because she was at our house she was spared the torment of watching it all fade away. She is devastated that she will never again see a photo of her mother and the only things she has left of her are memories. I think the oddest moment for some would have been the look of absolute horror when she realized her iron skillet was gone; to most just a pot, but for my mom it was so much more. Yes it was a pot, but she used it to cook meals for her family when many times a meal was all we had to cling to.

I can't begin to imagine how they feel and I really don't know where to steer them from here. Life will go on and most of this will become a far off distant memory, I'm just not sure when that time will come and how it will get here. I am so thankful for my friends that have fed us for the last 5 days and offered us a washing machine and a hot shower. They have literally given my dad the clothes of of their backs. They are incredible and it helps me understand just how truly lucky we are.

~~~

On a lighter note, oh to be two and unable to comprehend the magnitude of the life surrounding you. Here are a few photos from Oliver 'weathering the storm' with his chocolate chip muffins and sloppy joe picnic.