in 1999, a tornado came through my hometown of clarksville, tennessee. i was in college at the time at the local university, austin peay state university.
i remember going to bed the night before, sitting my alarm to wake up early to go in and take an exam. i was a live-in nanny at the time.
i remember tossing and turning all night because of a bad storm.
that was the methodist church where i attended.
i remember getting up and stumbling to the shower in my sleepy state and getting a knock on the bathroom door while i was in the shower.
"jessica. you don't have school today. we're not even sure there's a school left."
the campus was in shambles. the city was devastated. as were the residents.
my hometown woke up looking much different than when i went to bed the previous night.
oklahoma. you are in my prayers and thoughts. last night was we celebrated my very best friends birthday with dinner, all i could think about was you. your people. your kids. as we celebrated my best friend, her life, i couldn't help but think about birthdays that were shattered yesterday.
but oklahoma, here's what i learned from tennessee in 1999 - you are resilient.
you still shine and will shine brighter in days to come.
goodness will uprise from your roots.
but in the meantime, i will pray for you.
we will pray for you.
