We all have stories. This story isn't about mine, or yours. It is about heart wrenching stories buried in the dirt. Stories of lives scattered only to be found, again. And yes, an important lesson was also waiting to be discovered.
During the late evening of Friday, December 10, 2021, a violent, long-tracked EF4 tornado moved across Western Kentucky, producing severe to catastrophic damage in numerous towns, including Mayfield, Princeton, Dawson Springs, and Bremen. The tornado was exceptionally long-tracked, traveling 165.6 miles while at times becoming wrapped in rain. It was the deadliest and longest-tracked tornado in an outbreak that produced numerous strong tornadoes in several states; 57 fatalities were confirmed in the tornado. This is the site where Lisa L's house once stood. Her mother's house, which Lisa had inherited, stood next door. Lisa owned her house free and clear and was so proud for all she had accomplished.
While searching the site where Lisa's house once stood, I recovered a photograph that had faded and worn. Even though the picture had been buried for months, the joy on the child's face could still be found. Laying nearby underneath a brick was a pin reading,"Madisonville Community College - Nursing." Turning the pin over were the initials,"CCB 2013." Holding the pin in my hand was all I needed to keep going.
Along with the pin and photograph was the black bracelet. While the bracelet doesn't look expensive and is probably costume jewelry at best, to one woman it may have been very special. Perhaps she wore it with her new dress to the dance at Mayfield's American Legion Hall, the dance where she met her husband many years ago...
The stories go on and yet the most important story, or perhaps a lesson, wasn't found in the dirt. It was found with Lisa L., the homeowner who lost her home.
The day of December 10th, Lisa L. was numb...numb from hearing another tornado watch was in effect. Growing up in Western Kentucky, she experienced tornado warnings and watches all her life. On the evening of December 10th for some unknown reason, Lisa decided to move her car and park it underneath her carport. No sooner had she turned off the ignition, she heard a voice ever so faintly. A voice she didn't recognize..the voice was her guardian angel with a message"Lisa, take a look around at the trees because they won't be here tomorrow and you may not be either." Without hesitation, she drove to her sister and brother-in law's house. They had a basement. After an hour of enjoying their "tornado warning party" stillness descended upon them followed by the sound of a freight train overhead. Once they emerged from their shelter, the Kentucky sky surrounded them. Her sister's house was gone just like her own.
Lisa's story reminds me to...Listen to the faint voice. Our guardian angels are with us always. It is up to us to listen.
According to Christian tradition, every one of us has a guardian angel, who accompanies us from the moment we’re born until the moment of our death, and stays at our side at every moment of our life. The idea of a spirit, of a supernatural entity that follows and supervises every human being, was already present in other religions and in Greek philosophy.
I also found these pieces at the debris site; a sign of affirmation and empowerment, and a broken angel wing. For me, there are no coincidences.
The women of Sister Corps, who I had the privilege of working beside while in Western Kentucky this past April, have their own stories. Sister Corps has hundreds of volunteers across the nation; in our Western Kentucky project, there were 43 of us from 15 states, all but three over the age of 51 (and one HARD working 80 year old)! Working on 9 job sites, we removed debris, ran a skid steer, repaired a deck, removed old walls, installed insulation and drywall, taped and bedded, painted, installed flooring, and listened to the people impacted by the extraordinary event of December 10th, 2021. We left with our hearts full and a new love for the beauty and good folks of Kentucky!
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