I used to my life being a bit
crazy. I am prone to having challenge after challenge. I honestly
believed I could handle anything. God proved me wrong, though. Four
months ago, my family and I became victims of the Great Flood of 2016.
About 4 feet of water came through our beautiful home. It was the most
difficult thing we all had to go through. We didn't only have to rebuild our
house; we had to 'rebuild' ourselves.
Stop the
Chaos
In the beginning, I was frustrated with God. I honestly wanted to knock the pen out
of His hand and crumble up the pages. I wanted the chaos to stop. My
family didn't deserve to be dealing with such a disaster, nobody did. I knew
there was a reason, but I didn't have the patience to learn what it was. I just
hated seeing my family and boyfriend broken down. It didn't matter how hard I
tried. I couldn't keep any of them stable.
A New
Canvas
I will never forget the moment I
rolled in our gutted house. It was just a couple weeks after the flood. I
rolled around and took it all in. I held back the tears until I remembered the
first time Todd brought mom and me to see the house in 2011. The house didn't
have walls yet. Todd designed the house himself. He was so excited to give us a
tour. Seeing it destroyed broke my heart. He worked so hard on it. It wasn't
fair. Although, I began to realize that God had given him a new 'canvas.'
No artistic mind can stay unchallenged.
Rather be
Shoeless
Anyone who knows me knows how much
I love shoes. I have about 30 pairs of shoes, including high heels. The first
thing I did to prepare for the flood was putting all my shoes and clothes up
high. I regret about only worrying my wardrobe. I really do. I hate
myself for not thinking about things like my senior yearbook, award
certificates, and baby photos. I can't explain how it felt when I saw those
things all soaked and muddy. It killed me. "I rather be shoeless,"
I thought. Photos and award certificates aren't replaceable like clothes and
shoes are. I learned my lesson.
Better
than Superman
As I mentioned before, the flood
happened on the weekend of Brandon and I's first year anniversary. We had
planned to have fun, romantic weekend. Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to
be a party pooper....literally. From the beginning, Brandon has done everything
he can to make the situation less stressful. He helped keep the generator dry
and going. He stayed brave as he walked in water waist deep. He was there when
I had my breakdowns. He managed to come still see me every weekend while he
dealt with rebuilding his house. He helped me through a rough semester. He is
definitely better than Superman. I am beyond grateful to be his girl.
The New
Normal
If
my mom had her own super power, it would be transforming chaos to normality.
Through it all, my mom managed to keep things as normal as possible. Well, our
lives have always been far from normal. I meant to say she did a
great job with helping each one of us adapt to the new normal. While our
house was being rebuilt, we stayed at my step-grandmother Pam's house in Baton
Rouge. We stayed there for three months. Being misplace for three months was
difficult. Mom worked her magic, though. She was always there to get a smile
back on our faces.
Saturday Nights
The
flood affected a lot of things. However, it didn't affect my time
with my dad at Tiger Stadium. I have
always enjoyed cheering on Tigers with him. We sit right by the locker room,
and I get to high-five all the players. Sometimes we get to see celebrities
down on the field. Over the past two
years, we have met Jase Robertson, Tom Cruise, Marcus Luttrell, Marty Smith and
Patrick Peterson. The best part though is getting to make unforgettable memories
with my dad.
Rise
It took me awhile to trust God
again. I was so angry with him. It felt like he was twisting the 'plot' of my
'story' too much. I barely had the strength to face it all. He truly knocked me
down. He had a good reason though. On October 7, I finally got a standing
wheelchair. I was beyond
excited. I will never forget the moment I stood myself up. I looked at myself
in the mirror for a few minutes. Then I realized it. God had to knock me down
so I could rise. So I could become stronger than ever before.
New
Chair, New Experiences
I can't explain how grateful I am to
be an owner of a standing wheelchair. I love having the ability to stand
whenever. I have experienced so many new things. I stood for the national
anthem at Tiger Stadium. I have been able to reach all my clothes. My best
friend recently got married. I stood alongside her other bridesmaids. Nothing
has been more special than having the ability to fully hug my family and
friends though. I'm so excited to see what other experiences I might endure with
Stella (yes, I have named my chair, I have named all my chairs actually hehe!)
These past four months have been a
whirlwind. It wasn't easy to rebuild our lives, but we have become even
stronger and closer. I want to thank everyone who helped us. (Especially,
the National Guard, Bernard-Normand Construction, Aunt Amy, and Uncle Marshall,
Mawmaw Pam, Mrs. Kathy, Mawmaw Lisa, and Pawpaw Wally). God bless.
P.S. Sorry this was a tear jerker. My eyes leaked
several times while I was typing this.
