Well….it happened.
I’m sitting at the relief center at the little Methodist Church, who has graciously opened their doors to the Red Cross, Search and Rescue and First Responders….as well as flood victims, like me.
I’m wearing someone else’s clothes…..and extremely grateful for the underware someone bought me. There are so many things to do, so I am just simply sitting doing nothing…..in a quiet room all by myself.
When you lose everything, it’s a strange new reality. A new perspective. A new day full of unanswered questions and chaos…..but somehow, the small joys are still “clear as mud” (as my Harmony and Solfedge Professor used to say)
“Hey! It’s Great-Grandmother’s Tea Cup!!!” (I used to have the whole set)
“It’s that picture that I love of my Mom!!!” (I used to have entire scrapbooks)
“It’s my wedding ring!!!” (I used to have boxes of heirloom jewelry)
“Can you believe how good the gardens are looking???” (The entire house is destroyed, asnd all contents are a total loss)
Once you lose it all, your mind goes into salvage mode. What is worth saving? The hip new pitcher from Pottery Barn became the search for Great-Grandmother’s pitcher she got as a wedding gift. The Target Christmas table cloth became the search for Nana’s 1950’s floral tablecloth. The mountain of children’s belongings became the search for my Blue Bunny, that I had as a child.
I have realized the things I have chosen to save have just one thing in common……roots.
Roots are the life of a plant. Deep under the ground. When a plant has shallow roots, any little disaster will knock the plant over, uprooting and destroying. With depth, the plant can sustain an unbelievable amount of trauma and destruction, and can still choose to flower the next day.
I want deep roots.
I want my roots in memories. The handwritten cookbook my Grandmother wrote, that I waded back into chest high water for. My mother’s little angel from Germany, the Danish plate of my Grandfather’s, the cabin China that my Aunt gave to me……and the photos. All layed out by community members, trying to dry and save. Gratitude of people’s help to preserve my roots has been overwhelming.
It’s still flooding down in Texas. I’m not the only one who has lost everything.
My story has changed, and my heart is still full.
Happy Gardening, my friends……Remember to plant deep roots.