Tornado Hits Close to My Hometown

L

ast Sunday afternoon, a violent  tornado hit about 14 miles from my hometown in Iowa and even closer to my family farm. 

Of course I am so grateful that my family is safe and it did not hit our farm but my heart goes out to the thousands of people who were hurt, killed and lost their  homes and businesses in Parkesburg, Iowa, and the other towns hit in the Midwest.

Since I grew up there, I remember what it is like to be in the middle of a tornado but I never had my home destroyed or my family and friends injured or killed in one.

Of course, this seems small compared to the 100,000s of people killed, injured and affected by the Sichuan earthquake tragedy and other countries who have had such catastrophes, but  for my family, and the people I grew up with and their family and friends this is heart breaking. 

I drove through Parkesburg last Christmas as I was going from one brother in Wisconsin to my little brother and his wife and family on our family farm in Iowa.  My memories of that snowy, foggy day of Parkesburg will be a still picture in my mind of that little town which was so a part of my childhood landscape and is no more. 

When we have no control of what happens, I think human beings realize how much we are alike than different. 

My thoughts and prayers go out to all the people struggling with all the tragedies that have happened lately in our world.