This year, the final day of our anniversary falls on the same day as Thanksgiving. There is much to be thankful for, so much of it obviously connected with the tornado that wrecked our house in April.
We are thankful:
- To the creators of Wheel of Fortune, for a show the family enjoys watching, which ensured they saw the tornado warning on TV in plenty of time to go downstairs.
- To our neighbors who checked helped Yoli and the kids get out of the basement through a window and let them stay in their house until I got there.
- To my brother Justin for connecting us with a contractor who did above and beyond what we hoped might be possible in rebuilding our house.
- To my dad who was there the morning after the tornado, and on many other days afterward, to offer help and advice as we figured out what to do.
- To my mom for, among many other things, finding a notice about a house for rent and passing it on to us. We spent a good 6-7 months in that house.
- To State Farm for ponying up quickly and often. (However I am not thankful for all the paperwork, but what can you do?)
- To all our friends and family who helped after the tornado with gifts, with time, with advice, with words of comfort.
- To the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for continuing to give me a job that I enjoy doing.
- To my coworkers, who sent us a gift of help after the tornado, and who nominated us for an obscure Lee Foundation grant that our family was eligible for.
- To God for our home, for supplying our needs, for love, for everything; but mostly for our lives. If Yoli or one of the kids had perished in the tornado, this year would have been inconceivably different.
- To that darn tree: I loved you for your tallness, for the cool shade you provided. You have given us a year of work and waiting, a new house — and fewer leaves to rake.
Well said Josh, well said…