When Words Aren't Enough

A week ago Wednesday I sat in the comfort and safety of my living room in Texas and watched videos and read reports of tornadoes ripping through my home state.  The images were awful.  The fear I could read in my twitter feed was heartbreaking.  And I couldn't do anything about it except sit there and watch it all as it was happening.  I wasn't living it like my friends were.  I wasn't going to have to deal with the aftermath.  The next day I tried to write about what happened the day before but it just felt trivial and patronizing so I deleted the post.  I read through twitter and Facebook and other news reports of death and destruction and everything else just felt secondary.  I wanted to help but I didn't know how.  So I stayed out of it.  It was one of those moments in life where it felt like the rest of the world should stop and take notice of what had happened.  But here in Austin, Texas, life went on unaffected because few people here were directly effected by the storms the Southeast had suffered the day before.  I am fortunate than none of my family or friends were hurt.  None suffered loss of life or loss of home.  Many people have asked and I appreciate that.  But now what we need to do is help.  Tuscaloosa and many other parts of Alabama are still digging out from under the rubble the cities are left with.  They need support.  They need volunteers.  Please do something.  Donate to the Red Cross.  Buy a t-shirt whose proceeds go to the disaster relief.  Buy supplies to be sent into the hardest hit areas.  If you are close by, volunteer to help.  It is amazing to me to see what people are willing to do to help out their fellow humans at times like these.  I don't normally do things like this but my heart is hurting for my state so I feel it is necessary.  Thank you for listening.