One Year Later

One of my favorite pictures from Joplin

Today probably isn't anything to most of my readers.

If you're from the Joplin, MO area though, today means a lot.

Today marks a day of terror, strength, and hope.

It marks a year since a devastating tornado ravaged our city.

It marks  a year since some lost everything they had ever known.

It's weird to think back to a year ago today.

It means nothing will ever be the same here.

Deep in people's hearts they will still carry their memories of this day.

And the pictures are forever engrained in most people's minds.

I wanna say RIP to all the lives that were lost.

It was such a big number that it seemed like everybody

knew somebody that passed away.

These losses are untimely and devastating to many.

I personally know a person.

In my mind however, he is a hero.

He was saving the love of his life and she is still here.

I wasn't in Joplin at this time.

But a lot of my family were.

And by the grace of God, they're all still with me.

One of my cousins was part of the graduating class

and they all were watching her.

I was at my lovely job...delivering pizzas

in Carthage.

Our store actually got shut down for awhile

and while it was all we could do was listen

to the radio and pray.

After it was over I remember delivering to a house

that was watching the weather channel.

I saw all the destruction but it just didn't seem real.

It became real for me when my hunnie and I drove through

on the Tuesday after it happened.

What stuck with me from that drive was a family coming

back to their house to try and save something.

They were all crying. Idk how they found any hope or strength

to come back. I wish I would have helped them though.

I cried...hard.

There have been some positive things to come from this though.

I've gotten the chance to work with some awesome people

because their store didn't make it.

My manager was at her origingal store when it happened.

I'm glad she made it through and now we get the joy

of having her be our manager.

So many coworkers have come from the other two stores.

And they're awesome too.

As we reflect on this day I know that everybody

feels something different.

I pray for everyone having trouble, and for

them to feel some peace with what has happened.

This made Joplin stronger. This made us have hope.

It's been a year and we will continue our efforts of rebuilding

and healing.

I don't really know where to end this post,

as I could keep writing forever.

It's a monumental moment in my life.

All I know is that I hope everybody comes together to

celebrate what has happened since that fateful day.

That we take a moment to realize how much stronger

the people of Joplin have gotten, and that we remember the

lives that were taken.