Love me, know me, show me : Hearts out to Joplin.

I am still trying to sink it all in..... a tornado that created damage 3/4 of a mile wide and 4 miles long... nearly wiping out 1/3-2/3's of Joplin, MO..... Already, the tornado in Joplin has been labeled as the deadliest single tornado in more than half a century..... I can't believe the photos and video footage that I am seeing on the internet- I have never seen a tornado that huge stay on the ground so long..... Unbelievable and devastating....

We only lived there 3 years (12-15 years old) and I went to a small school with 12 kids in my grade, so I really didn't know too many people in the town that well. And the people that I did know don't live there anymore, with the exception of their parents. I have lost touch with all my Joplin friends except for "stalking" them on Facebook and thanks to Facebook, I have been made more aware of which friends families were effected- and every single one of them was in some way..... 

I found out that my old neighborhood was fortunate to only suffer a loss of power. My school was in the northern part of town which did not suffer any damage. And what I have found out through Facebook, all of my friends and their parents who live in Joplin are okay (as for the shape their homes are in, it varies house to house).  But with much sympathy, my best friend in middle school, Kacie Oster, lost her grandfather to the tornado. I can only wish and pray for peace for her family in this horribly difficult time. Kacie's future sister in law (she gets married in 2 months in Joplin) created this website below in case anyone is looking for a way to donate to the city and I thought I would share it with my blog readers.

http://pepperandpoppy.blogspot.com/2011/05/love-me-know-me-show-me-hearts-out-to.html

My sister is also collecting items and transporting them to Joplin via a friend this Friday. If you have anything you would like to donate, let me know and I can get it to her.

It is a sad time for many in Joplin and I can not imagine the devastation they are experiencing. When things hit close to home and effect people that have touched your life, it always opens my eyes a little wider and it really shakes me up a bit.... It also makes me appreciate all my loved ones and encourages me to think about what really matters....

Much Love,
Jenny