Basements, Boys, Business, and Blooms (Truly Grateful Series)
I haven't written a "grateful" post for a while. I think I'm overdue.
First of all, last weekend, the tornado siren went off in my town. My husband was out of town, but the rest of us that were here (me, my two sons, two of their friends, and Max the dog) all made the dash for the basement.
One of the tornadoes tore a path through a high school. Graduation ceremonies for seniors were to have been held there the next day. My younger son has been in wrestling tournaments at that high school.
Two horses were picked up by the storm, carried over the treetops, and dropped in a neighbor's pool. School buses and police cars were picked up and tossed around as if they were toys. This happened in an area where I used to deliver books in the bookmobile at a previous library job that I had.
Roofs were lifted off of houses and dropped onto roads. Telephone poles and trees were snapped off like twigs. Across the street from where my older son has been working this summer, twenty full-grown trees were blown down during the storm.
While listening to the news reports the last few days, as the reporters interviewed the people who lost their homes, I noticed something. Over and over again, the people told how they made it out alive because they had gone to their basements. Their homes were leveled, flattened, but they remained safe in their basements, emerging after the winds had moved to the next county.
First of all, last weekend, the tornado siren went off in my town. My husband was out of town, but the rest of us that were here (me, my two sons, two of their friends, and Max the dog) all made the dash for the basement.
When the siren goes off, that means a tornado has been sighted. It is not something to ignore or make light of. Fortunately for us, the tornado didn't touch down in our area, skirting around us to the east. Unfortunately for others, it did touch down elsewhere. As a matter of fact, according to the news the next day, five tornadoes touched down in our little corner of the state of Ohio and in Michigan that night, and five people lost their lives. Much damage was left behind as well.
One of the tornadoes tore a path through a high school. Graduation ceremonies for seniors were to have been held there the next day. My younger son has been in wrestling tournaments at that high school.
Two horses were picked up by the storm, carried over the treetops, and dropped in a neighbor's pool. School buses and police cars were picked up and tossed around as if they were toys. This happened in an area where I used to deliver books in the bookmobile at a previous library job that I had.
Roofs were lifted off of houses and dropped onto roads. Telephone poles and trees were snapped off like twigs. Across the street from where my older son has been working this summer, twenty full-grown trees were blown down during the storm.
While listening to the news reports the last few days, as the reporters interviewed the people who lost their homes, I noticed something. Over and over again, the people told how they made it out alive because they had gone to their basements. Their homes were leveled, flattened, but they remained safe in their basements, emerging after the winds had moved to the next county.
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Some days I have a difficult time believing how lucky I am to have my two sons. Knowing that I was feeling rather emotional over the weekend, they were both trying their best to make things easier for me. The older one, without being asked or told, noticed that the door handle on our back screen door was broken. He went to the hardware store, got the necessary parts, returned home, and fixed the door while I was away at the auction. My younger son mowed the grass, also without being asked or told to do so. Two days earlier, he had mowed the grass at my mom's house too. It is just so nice having these two young men around pitching in, sharing the load, and making it lighter.
* * * * *
My younger son will be attending Strings Camp for orchestra at the end of his month. We were recently notified that he had been awarded a scholarship from the area arts council to use toward the cost of the camp. What made this news even better was that his girlfriend was also awarded scholarship money to use for the same camp. The arts council formally presented the awards to the students at one of the area libraries.
My son after receiving his award.
His girlfriend receiving hers.
A group shot of some of the students that night.
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I absolutely, positively love my job! I am still learning and figuring things out, but I'm loving it. I feel very fortunate being employed, and even more so being employed doing something I enjoy. I love my office too! Would you like to see it? You would? Of course you would! I knew you'd say yes.
This is my desk in one side of my office.
This shows the other side of my office. It's big enough to dance in, don't you think?
I have to tell you, I was wearing the biggest grin while taking these pictures. I am so thankful for this job.
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Lord, for basements and sirens and the protection they afford us during the fury of tornadoes, for sons who contribute and care, for the generosity of others who make it possible for young people to follow their dreams, for a job that is fulfilling and fun, and for the beauty of flowers that provide distraction during difficult times and are a daily source of joy to me, please let me be truly grateful.
