DailySusan Humor Blog

THE SPIRIT OF 911 LIVES, DOWN SOUTH

Remember how we all pulled together after Sept. 11? Remember how we all sent money and letters and prayers, and helped any way we could?

The same things are going on for our fellow Americans in Florida, sucker-punched by two big hurricanes in a row.

Former Omahan Jane Gilbert is a big cheese with the Red Cross in Raleigh, N.C., and she’s been sending me heartwarming stories of how the Red Cross has been helping people in need:

-- A woman walked in to a Red Cross office in Georgia and brought with her a newspaper clipping from May 1929. It seems that her home was destroyed by a tornado that touched down near Catlett, Va. Her father was killed. She was pulled from the rubble clinging to her mother, who was hospitalized for months. They lost everything, but the local Red Cross gave her family $5,000. She apologized for ‘’being late’’ in paying them back double and asked that her $10,000 be donated to Florida for the victims of Hurricane Frances. She said she understood how they feel and wanted to help.

-- Retired nurse Kellie Mendenhall is on her 15th Red Cross disaster relief tour out of Sarasota, helping pack a 150-truck caravan with food and medicine to distribute to hurricane victims with a cup of coffee and a smile, the way she helped families cope in the aftermath of the 911 assault on the Pentagon.

-- The Red Cross replaced the trailer home of a 73-year-old man who lost his wife six months ago and, in the hurricane, lost his home and his memories . . . but at least, through the Red Cross, he knew he hadn’t lost hope and love.

-- The Red Cross also helped a lady who asked only for a tarp to cover the part of her trailer that was wrecked, since her neighbors’ homes had been hurt far worse. It turns out she needed, and received, a lot more help than that: she also lost her job when her citrus processing plant was damaged and she had no money for her child’s asthma medication.

The stories go on and on. I didn’t realize that the vast majority of people working down there are volunteers. More than 5,000 people are taking time off from work and personal obligations to go down there and help their fellow Americans.

They are computer maintenance people and accountants, housewives and attorneys . . . and they sleep on the floor in shelters alongside disaster victims, with infrequent showers, on a ‘’Bring Your Own T.P.’’ basis.

It sounds difficult.

It sounds wonderful.

It sounds like a worthy destination for any excess money and as many words of prayer as possible.

Remember 911. Remember Florida. And remember the Red Cross . . . our hands, feet and hearts doing what the One on the first Cross asked us to do.

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Prayer request: My beloved has Lasik surgery today. Please pray for a tremendously good job through the wonders of modern medicine, straight from Your Hand, Father God. See Your way clear to grant David the blessing of great eyesight for the first time in decades. And keep his vision squarely on You and through You, for all time. (Ezekiel 40:2)

Prayer request: As tired as she is from working 24 / 7 on Red Cross work during this tough hurricane season, my friend Jane from the story above also had to put her darling bichon, Griffin, to sleep after 18 years of companionship. She writes, ‘’I’m sure he’s running in the fields on high like a mad-man, jumping over logs and barking -- all things he hasn’t been able to do for a very long time. He is certainly gracing Someone’s heavenly home -- that I know!’’ Lord, thank You for love. Thank you for Jane. Thank You for Griffin . . . and grant both of them Your rest. (Numbers 10:33)