...Flooding...

[Medi]

...I am sending many prayers and healing thoughts to all affected by the recent floods in the Midwest...and also money to organizations that I trust will help those who have lost so much.  I did experience such a flood when I was very young, here is what it was like...please excuse me if I am not very clear...I was maybe 5 years old at the time.

We lived in a lower middle class area, but I liked it...especially because of the creek that was behind our house.  There was a steep bank that led to the creek, the creek was about 10 feet lower than the property, and the other side was about 30 feet across.  I would climb over our fence, and carefully get down the bank, and then wade in the creek.     I would walk way up the creek, and have to get to the bank when the water was too deep, and I would look at everything I saw.  I especially liked hunting crawdads...I learned...after getting pinched a lot...how to pick them up.  I would look over my 'captive', and then put it back, and watch it scoot away.     If I was in Louisianna, we would have had a nice boil.  Once, I brought a bucket with me, and filled it with bullfrogs.  I proudly showed my Mother my new pets, and she took the bucket away from me and dumped them over the fence as I cried and jumped up and down. 

But, now, onto the flood...

[Medi]

...There was very heavy rain for several days, but it didn't register on me.  I recall seeing Stevie...an older boy that I liked, sitting on the fence between our houses.  I put on a coat, and ran out, and climbed up the fence, and sat beside him.  I looked down at the creek, and was ASTONISHED...it was VERY high, and looked like a river!  My Mother yelled at me to come back in...I did...but I was unhappy...I wanted to sit with Stevie and watch the creek.     I just went into my room, and sat.

A few hours later, my Mother came in, and handed me a small suitcase, and said, "Pack all of your favorite toys."  She then took a bunch of my clothing, and left my room.  I tried different packings, but got most of my best toys into the suitcase.  My parents then got me to put on warm clothing, and we went into our car, and drove away.  I was excited as we checked into a small motel, I had never seen such before.     And it had a nice TV.  But...it got boring after 3 days...I had to stay in the room with my Mother and baby brother.  My Father would leave for the day...he was an Officer of the Sea Scouts, who were working on cleanup. 

They finally brought me back home, one day...and I didn't know what to think...the streets, yards, and houses had mud all over them.  I went into our house, and there was mud on the floors, and partway up the walls.     It took a while, but the house was cleaned.  The floors were just concrete, and the walls were cleaned...I don't know how they did that, and we moved back in.  I lost a bunch of my toys, I hadn't bothered to pick them off of the floor before we left...and a 'stuffy toy' can't be rescued after that.    

Finish to come...

[Medi]

...My friends families also moved back in, and the adults all worked hard, helping each other clean, and sharing food.  I kinda liked some of the stews that we all sat around and ate, and I was introduced to 'cleaning up'...we young girls would help clean the tables, and wash dishes.   

But, the funniest part was when we received some charity.  My best friend lived next door, her name was 'Janie'.  She and I were out front, playing, and a very large car drove up, and stopped by us.  We stopped playing, and looked at the car.  A middle aged woman got out, and came to us, and asked us our names.  We told her, and she hugged us, and said that she was so sorry over what we had been through.  She then opened the trunk of the car, and handed us each a HUGE Easter Basket!  The flood did happen before Easter...and they were those baskets that we saw being sold in markets.     She then drove off, and we saw her stop beside an other group of children.

Janie and I were delighted, and we ran into my house, and waved the baskets at my Mother, and Janies' Mother.     We explained how we had gotten them, and then went into the back yard, and opened them and looked at the little toys, and began eating some of the candy.  We heard laughter, and looked through the window, and Janies' Mother and my Mother were hugging each other...almost in hysterics. 

My Mother, when I got older and asked about her reaction, just said..."We had been through so much, and had bigger problems to address...but we were so happy to see you and Janie happy over such a simple gift."   

I pray that those who are recovering from the flood, stay calm, and serene, and be thankful for all that you can save.