Grateful

I am finding myself so emotional at different times throughout this disaster. I'm watching the news tonight (we had to turn it off today b/c it was just too much) and I'm thinking back to 9-11. I feel at times that it's an unfair comparison, but for me, being so lucky in both tragedies (so far) it feels eerily the same. And. . .this is somewhat worse. During 9-11, it was one tragedy, surrounded by a period of other threats. This just keeps going, it's seemingly never-ending. In a matter of minutes, everything can change. One change of the wind and another community is threatened. All at nature's will. There is no rhyme or reason; it's like a tornado. One home is standing, one is demolished. Please don't think that 9-11 didn't affect me; I was there too, it was horrible, gut-wrenching and emotional. But the finality of it helped me cope. This isn't final. We haven't rested. We are still waiting to have the wind change and evacuate. My things are still in the middle of the living room waiting to be rushed down the stairs (those that aren't already in the car). And what is gut-wrenching to me is the thousands (1/2 million actually) that can't sit in the comfort of their own homes like I am right now tonight. They are waiting, they don't know about the situation of their homes and lives, they are relying on public service to take care of them and feed them, they don't have a roof over their heads or beds to sleep in tonight. . .Why I have been so fortunate twice around is absolutely beyond me.