In all honesty, I have led a pretty wonderful life. My parents are awesome. I got to attend college. I married my high school sweetheart. I landed my dream job. I have two wonderful kids. Not that I am bragging.
So when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, the storm did more than destroy my City. For the first time, I had no direction and was surrounded by a sea of uncertainty. Enter panic. The next year of my life was spent restoring a sense of normalcy for me and my 6 month old daughter (how I escaped postpartum depression after seeing the tattered nursery we had meticulously planned is beyond me).Looking back, it was the absolute hardest thing I have ever done and could not have survived without anti depression medication if it weren’t for the shoulders of my extended family. With all of us (which counted about 20) in one trailer at a campground in Shreveport, we played card games and made dinner as a family which made dealing with depression, change and uncertainty so much easier. We were all in the same boat but thanked God each night that we were all safe.
While Katrina took many things away, she gave us a lot, too. Our family grew even closer, I discovered a sense of courage I never knew existed, and a renewed a sense of pride and unity in New Orleans. Have you had a similar experience? What was your silver lining?
