Katrina - Moving On

As part of my personal ritual of moving on after an unpleasant experience, I find it healthy to reflect. I choose to share this reflection with our friends and family who visit this blog.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita really couldn't have arrived at a worse time for our family. Will was one week old when Katrina made landfall. Fortunately, we barely noticed any weather disturbance during Katrina. It was a hot cloudy day with some light wind in Lafayette. Two hours away, chaos reigned.

When asked to assist in the recovery effort, I agreed. The fog of new fatherhood cleared quickly as the rotor blades of our helicopter sped towards the Superdome. Landing at that location (and other locations in following days) still seems surreal.

While caring for people who lost everything (and sometimes everyone), my mind would wander back to Will and Kathryn. For the first time in twenty years of EMS, I selfishly wanted to be home rather than at the side of colleagues or those that would benefit from my care.

Returning home was bittersweet. Seeing KC and Will after my first trip was like nothing I had ever experienced. I really was overwhelmed by the warmth and love of my family. This was where I belonged. At the same time I realized that I would be called again to return to New Orleans. My heart was simply not in that task at hand. Very difficult days followed - just as I wanted to quit - something spoke inside me and pushed (or pulled) me to complete my other responsibilities.

I dedicate this blog to my colleagues who gave so much more than I. I thank you for your understanding. Two sources of inspiration for me came from those storms. The first is the super work ethic of people like Gifford Saravia, Ross Judice, and others like them. You really taught me much during this time of crisis. The next is the power of family and friends. I'm very proud and appreciative of Kathryn, our family, and friends who pulled together while I was away.

Kathryn recently told me that so much in life is seasonal. I think she's right. On the heels of disaster, we moved into the holiday season and life really returned to normal. We had much time together as a family - sharing laughs and good times. As we move into the next season, I think its time to let Katrina go.

DML