Dear Houston,
I haven’t been able to focus well lately. When I watch the news or read the daily Skimm, or in simple conversation with friends, I cannot get away from the tragedy that has swept over you - my hometown I love so dearly. The community that I have been a part of since birth is under water and I’m 96 miles away from helping put you back together.
It’s no wonder there’s been a distraction on my mind. Every time I see news of Hurricane Harvey, I am reminded of the struggle so many families have to go through. Thousands of homes ruined by water damage and thousands of tears shed by people who have lost everything they know. The next time they see their home, they'll be strapping themselves in water proof overalls and kayaking to their home with three feet of water in it.
The worst part about being a college student from a home town that is tackling a disaster is that while your family and friends back home are working away to get their lives back to normal, you remain physically unharmed by the disaster.
Us college Houstonians may not be witnessing the disaster, but can feel it much deeper than the eye can tell. We manage to distract ourselves with friends and studying, but we find the mind doesn’t want to study and continues to return to thinking of the distress our friends and family are hiding from us because they don't want us to worry about the obstacles this hurricane has given them to conquer.
But the worst is over and you, Houston, have shown me so much more.
Hurricane Harvey has not just caused disaster, but it has created a chain reaction of compassion. Countless people are traveling to Houston to help those who have lost homes, volunteering their time to help demolish these broken homes and rebuild them better than before, and offering their humble homes to those who have none. This compassion has become a common occurrence and will be sticking around for a long time while your ruins get rebuilt.
Harvey has shown me to be thankful for a strong family that can get through any disaster with grace, and thankful for this community that will continually give back, and keep giving back even if they have hardly anything to give. My family and countless more refuse to let anyone see the hurt and struggles they are going through because they refuse to be anything but strong in this situation. They remain so strong because this communitylifts up those who are too weak to lift themselves.
Though these families may be able to lift themselves, they are able to find comfort in the fact that their fellow Houstonians will never leave them behind. This community continues to amaze me as it becomes stronger through these people coming together to beautifully overcome the devastation.
Just like our treasured graffiti wall that hangs over downtown has told us time and time again, we use this tragedy to come together and "Be Someone".
Houston, we stand with you. We show you our support. Although we cannot physically be there to help due to school, we are with you in spirit, donating our prayers, our love to the refugees who have arrived to College Station, and what little money we have to effort reliefs. We stand together to tackle this.
While there may be devastation all around us, seeing people across the entire state unite shows hope for the future. It’s time for recovery, it’s time to heal, and most importantly it’s time to build an even stronger community.
From,
A Girl With A Not-So-Heavy-Heart Anymore