Re: The Mississippi Gulf Coast

I hear ya! I am living down here at Keesler Air Force Base with my husband and three kids. We are a military family with my husabnd as our sponsor. That means he is the one in the military, not me. But you can hardly tell because military families all serve as an entire family:)

It does seem as if we are forgotten down here. I see life progressing and things getting better and it is because we are doing our own work. I see a lot of families stuck in trailers and still in shelters. We have two families still living at our church which was a shelter for Katrina. We stayed there through the whole hurricane and for several days afterwards. We got home and the military housing neighborhood we live in is pretty much destroyed towards the back closest to the bay. Our house escaped all damage and we lost nothing. Can you believe our blessings? And we also had running water!!!! Inside our home, it is as if Katrina never happened. But outside, you can not escape it. I thank God each day for all we were spared and sorry for what others are going through. Don't get me wrong, we are still affected but not tot he miserable extent that so many friends and neighbors are. Most military lost everything. But here we are. Fine except for the Depression that follows such a trauma. And our civilian friends and neighbors, I am so proud of them! A lot of military was re-assigned to other working bases. We had the option to leave but chose to stay. We wanted to help rebuild and resume life and show our kids you don't run away from problems. Our civilian friends did not have much choice in staying or leaving. Some were not able to return but most came back and are putting it all back together again. Right now, it is miserable because it reeks with rot down here most days and some days it doesn't. The stores can not seem to keep their shelves stocked and that also includes Christmas presetns for the kids. We have been able to purchase some stuff but I hate giving my kids toys they did not want. I know it sounds selfish but when you hear your kids who still believe in Santa that they want a specific toy and you have a job of prepatring them for not getting it because you know it just isn't down here due to Katrina. Or how about just living in a dump? Honestly, could anyone on this list feel fine with going to a city dump and planting your house on it and then living there like that with all the pollution and the noise and the filth and the disease? That is the part that has really gotten me down. I had such a beautiful garden for all my neighbors to stop and enjoy. It is now a patch of dirt and my neighbors are all gone. I live alone on my street now excpet for two other families who are gone all the time. But when I begin to feel depressed and angry that Katrina happened, I just remember all my blesisngs and how we walked through unscathed except for minor discomforts. Honestly, that lifts me to such heights of gratefulness. Be thankful everyone and enjoy Christmas! I know I am so happy Christmas is finally here!!! :)

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