30/09/2023
Yesterday marked 1 year since Hurricane Ian and I'm still speechless.
It was the most unsure 48 hours of my life....unsure of what a hurricane truly was, unsure of how much damage it would cause to our community, and the scariest part, unsure of who would still be here after Ian left its mark.
Through the destruction is beauty. I met the most amazing people through this devastation, people who shouldn't be here today but are to share their stories of survival, courage, hope and so much more. Margaret and James Cruz survived Ian in their metal garage on a wooden loft that they built!
In those scary hours, Southwest Florida and families who call it home changed forever. But through it all we found the light in the darkest places. Despite their loss, I was a light for the Cruz's the first time we met, but they don't realize how much of a light they were for me because the days following Hurricane Ian were hard.
1 year later and we're still recovering from Ian's intense hit, but we have made so much progress as a community and individuals who bonded through serving each other.
This area won't stop until SWFL feels like paradise again and just Margaret reminded me in the midst of it all...like Annie says, "the sun will come out, tomorrow."
Thank you SWFL for opening your hearts and homes, and for letting me tell your stories of survival. Now we share the stories of revival for the strongest community I know.
