Twenty years ago today, I watched from my relatively safe space in Venice, as Hurricane Charley took an unexpected turn toward the island of Sanibel. I had barely had time to make the deep friendships that would mark my time on Sanibel, having been appointed Administrator of the parish in April of 2003. I would only be able to know a few names of those who would be personally affected by this storm, but I knew as things unfolded on the evening news that I would be personally affected, and while there were petty losses that I might have begun to prematurely grieve for, I prayed that I would have the knowledge and strength to rebuild a church that, at the very least, had been badly damaged. This was my first hurricane. Indeed, the island had not suffered such an encounter in decades, so there was no ‘measuring damage’ with other named storms. Aerial photos told us damage would be severe, but we would have to wait for official word before we could personally inspect the damage. The rest is well known history.
My first visit to the island would be in the company of friends; no one wanted me to be alone on my first visit. How wise that was, for no hardship since have I had to face alone, not even the devastating hurricane of October 28, 2016. I look back over these past twenty years, and to say that they have had their ups and downs would be an understatement. The one constant that has never changed is the friendships that I have been privileged to make. My mind hearkens back to April 23, 2003, when I arrived on Sanibel, and so very many of the friends I met, and who made me feel so welcome, have gone home to meet the Lord. I one day hope to be found worthy to join them.
In the meantime, through the many ups and downs which continue in my life, I will rely on the support of friendship, which still makes me smile and gets me through the darkest of days life has to offer. On this anniversary of Charley, I am grateful, and will continue to be grateful, for my friends who have made all the difference in the world!
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