Good morning. It's still raining and now storming over other parts of the district I hope to represent some day. We can only go a few miles each direction, the roads are closed. Yes, all of them. All I can do from here right now is try to direct resources to those in need and in danger on Facebook. Seems like a drop in the bucket – no pun intended.
As we wait for daylight to break, we access what has happened since late Friday. And, as we mourned the city we love yesterday, we watched the neighborhood where I grew up in southwest Houston be destroyed, slowly, all day.
Woke up early this morning to more steady rain as well as the steady drip of a leak in the kitchen. When the work day starts today, there will be no one to call to fix the leak. Everyone is dealing with their own leaks - or total destruction – today. So, you make some coffee, put a towel and a bowl down to catch the leak, wipe up the mess, and hope the ceiling and the coffee beans last for a few more days. Who knew you could be one of the lucky ones with only two feet of water in your house? We still have power and air conditioning — and coffee beans — for now.
Through this all, all I can think is ‘thank goodness’ for Texas. We are resilient. We work together. A recent report from Rice University called Houston ‘the most diverse and accepting city’ in the country. We jump right in to help no matter your race, your gender, your beliefs, your anything. And, when you are back on your feet, we will hand you a beer, give you a smile, and ask you to jump in and help moving forward.
I sent this to a friend several years ago after her home was devastated by Hurricane Sandy. She sent it back to me last night when it was most needed:
Been there, done that. Take it one day at a time. Count your blessings, literally, at the beginning of each day. If you want to cry, do it. Do a little bit every day to get things back to normal. Help your neighbors and strangers all you can - it will make you feel so much better - and bring you closer to new people. Document everything for the insurance company - note times, calls, who you talked to, what was said, everything. Know it takes at least one year for things to get back to some sort of 'normal' - my neighbors had someone else's large boat in their yard for 11 months. In the words of my then 12-year-old son, "I know this has been hard on you but it has also been so fun. Working with the neighbors, friends who came to help and strangers every day then all the neighbors taking turns cooking dinner around candlelight each night. I didn't even miss video games or TV." This' of course, is the same kid who told a reporter who asked him how he was holding up a few months later, "Oh it's been awful. I got all new stuff." She didn't get his dry humor....
This is not at all what I planned as my first post for Daily Kos - but as we have said for the last few days, it is what it is.
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Business speaker, author and Texas Radio Hall of Famer Dayna Steele is running to be the first Congresswoman for Texas Congressional District 36 in southeast Texas. Her campaign will be focused for the foreseeable future on recovery efforts in CD36. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter for updates. There is a 100% chance of rain for at least two more days ...