Proud to be a Nashvillian!

This has been one of the toughest weeks for Tennessee, my community, my friends, & my family that I can remember in my lifetime. The unexpected flood that is now being called the "500 year flood" devastated Nashville & its surrounding communities the week of May 1st. Each & every person in or around Nashville has been affected by the flood in one way or another. Whether it was your own personal property or a good friend or family member's property that was damaged or lost, we were all affected in some way.

For me, it was my roof / ceiling at my house, but this was nothing in comparison to what my mom & step-dad have had to deal with this week. This was the scene when we arrived at their house in a BOAT on Monday morning.

Although from these pictures it doesn't appear that the water was in the house, let me assure you, it was. It came up through the air ducts & we were walking through several inches of water in the living room & downstairs bedroom. On top of flooding in the house, they lost several vehicles & several pieces of farm equipment - none of which were covered by flood insurance (which has been the case for many, many Nashvillians).

In addition, my step-dad started having chest pains on Wednesday so my mom took him to the ER. Turns out he had yet another blockage (he has had open heart surgery in the past). So, on Thursday they doctors put a couple of stints in & he should get to go home (or to my aunt's house where they are staying) today.

All this being said, my family has been very fortunate. There are so many who have lost everything they have or have lost loved ones. I am just so fortunate that I still have my family with me & that, for the most part, their house & belongings are salvageable. We just have to keep in mind that God is in control & he has a reason (whatever it may be) for all that has happened.

I have also been amazed at the outpouring of love & compassion from our close friends, but more so from people that we do not even know. All day Monday & Tuesday, we had people stopping by to offer a helping hand or to drop off food. All over the news you see people helping to rescue others or giving food / water to those in need. It has been humbling, to say the least, to see exactly why Tennessee is called the "Volunteer" state. I have never been as proud as I am today to be from Tennessee or Nashville. We truly have the most giving, compassionate people in the country we live in!