Dear Caroline,
In my latest this-is-way-overdue letter, we are currently
underneath Hurricane Isaac. The last time I was in this position was about four
years ago. It was one of the last times we were all together.
I was a sophomore in college. I had just chopped all of my
hair off. I was newly friendless with everyone I knew from freshmen year
continuing in my now former sorority while I had outgrown it. My grandfather
had just been diagnosed with liver cancer. It was a very ugly, nasty place with
an ugly, nasty haircut to boot. In August, I had moved into my first big girl
apartment and then the Hurricane was coming! Hurricane Fay freaked me out and I
headed home. In retrospect, it was a pretty dumb decision as Valdosta was
better equipped to deal with the storm and I almost got stuck at my mom’s
house. But it is an experience I would never, ever trade.
It got really, really ugly! This storm was a rainmaker and
was the only time I remember trees falling. It was the first (and so far only!)
time I’ve taken a shower in the rain. It was also the last time I really
remember my granddaddy before he got really sick. Towards the end of his life,
my granddaddy was on oxygen and when the power when out due to the storm, we
were all very nervous. I remember having a blind panic. Luckily, my
grandparents had a generator. We ended up riding out the storm in their house
to make sure that the generator was working properly. We cooked and joked and
played cards. We enjoyed each other. I think even then I knew that this time was
to be enjoyed and savor because we were running out of time. That is never a
good feeling.
I almost feel as though that time was a weird gift. It was a
terrible time with the weather and the property damage was large, but it was
time that I was given with my grandparents before they got really sick. And my
granddaddy was gone the following April.
Wish #59: I wish for you to realize how just precious time
can be.
Love always
