My Heart Breaks

I have been distracted all week. Many, too many things going on. But more than anything, my heart has been breaking over what has happened in our deep South this week. We hear of tornadoes hitting Nebraska and Kansas and the nation's midsection every year. We have all kinds of destruction from earth quakes to tidal waves to hurricanes, and they seem to occur more and more often. But this disaster hit home for me. I have not been Home since I left the state in 1993, but for nearly a quarter of my life I lived in Alabama, Sweet Home Alabama, and I loved it. I still have a yearning for the South. I am a graduate of this university. It is just about one of the most gorgeous campuses I have ever visited, and I had the pleasure of living there for 4 years. That was Tuscaloosa. But after this week's massive tornado, estimated between 0.5 and a mile in width, that city won't be the same for a very long time. It is heart-wrenching to see the photos of the area, knowing that this is the place I lived, the place I learned, fell in love for the first time, and called home. Please, take a moment, and think about how fortunate you all are, wherever you may be. Many people have it way worse.