Today is the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. At the time of the hurricane, my oldest daughter, her husband, and their children and cats were living in New Orleans. I will never forget the early Sunday morning phone call that told me they were on the road heading for my sister's house in Tennessee. Little did any of us know that they would not be back in their house until two days before Thanksgiving--they were some of the lucky ones. Their next door neighbors did not get into their house until the following spring.
I was in New Orleans the summer following the hurricane and then again in late October. The difference in the city in those six months was amazing. The city was gradually coming back to life. There were problems staffing some of the restaurants because there was a shortage of housing, but the city was coming back--the zoo and the aquarium had reopened and some of the restaurants in Jackson Square were up and running.
The people of New Orleans have shown amazing courage in rebuilding their city. I wish the people of that great city the best as they continue in their task. There are many good books written about the hurricane and its aftermath. I just finished one called SUGARCANE ACADEMY, which dealt with the creative way that a group of people made sure some of the children evacuated had a good education while they waited for the schools to get reestablished.
My children still own their house down there, although the military has moved them elsewhere. I look forward to the day they will be back in New Orleans and I can visit them again.
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