houston day #53

hello there.

It's been a whirlwind of a weekend.

It's unimaginable to think about all that's happened in just a few short days. Today is Hurricane Harvey Day #5. The rain stopped today, and the sun came out - for the first time in quite awhile. I took a walk this evening with my roommate around my neighborhood, to see the surrounding areas and the flooded bayou. And while the area between I-10 and Memorial Drive has seen little to no flooding at all - that is not the case for much of Houston.

Amazingly, everything I have is safe and undamaged. My car is fine, my apartment is fine, I am fine. It just so happens, that as Memorial Drive dips downwards towards Buffalo Bayou, all the rainwater travels there, flooding the bayou but leaving our area unscathed. The worst I can complain about these days is how I've had bad cabin fever and gone stir crazy at the sound of rain and my rattling windows.

How surreal is it to know though, that just a few miles away, parts of Houston are underwater. NE Houston, SW Houston, all just inside the loop. And outside the loop roughly 30 miles north - Spring has flooded, and 20 miles west - the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs are overflowing. There are cars submerged on the roads, homes that are filled with water, and people who are helpless to do anything to save everything they have.

And while we're stuck in our apartment, busy doing work and trying to occupy our time at home, we only know of these things through TV and media outlets. Life runs as usual for me in my living room - a little stuffy and mundane, but as usual.

But how fortunate I am that I'm safe, that the people I care for are safe. How fortunate I am that I haven't even had to worry about my car being underwater on the ground floor.

It's easy to shield our eyes, to tuck ourselves away in our own worlds, and forget the pain and loss that others are feeling. Tremendous, tremendous loss. Even when it's right next door. And even as the water recedes, the clouds part, and the sun comes out, I pray that we won't neglect praying for those around us and seeking to serve and provide with the resources we have. May we not forget to be thankful, and to help our neighbor in need.

08.29.17