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 One would never know by the way the day started that disaster was going to strike.  I awoke to a beautiful, sunshiny morning.  The sky was a brilliant blue, not a cloud anywhere in sight.  I would loved to have taken the day off work because the dawn of tomorrow was only twenty-four hours away.   My youngest child, a son, had graduated from high school and tomorrow was his open house.  Reluctantly, I mad my way to work knowing that my husband and son would be able to accomplish the necessary tasks without me.

   As my workday progressed, the sky became exceedingly dark and the weather report was calling for thunderstorms with possible tornadoes.  Around five o’clock a tornado warning was issued for my county.  I was concerned, but I tried to keep my cool.  I did not want to frighten the children in my care at the day care center.  It was near closing time, and parents were already picking up their kids hoping to make it home before the storm hit.

   After work, I walked out to my car and checked my cell phone.  There was a voice mail from my son informing me that the storm had knocked over our giant poplar tree and sheared the top off of our Norway Maple tree.  He told me that I would probably have to find a different way home.  Both ends of our highway were blocked with downed trees, and police officers were redirecting traffic.  I immediately called my husband, who confirmed what my son had alread stated in his message.

   Never, in my forty-plus years that I have lived in this area had a storm hit with such fireceness.  I was not prepared for what I was about to set my eyes on when I arrived home.  My backyard looked like someone had taken a hand grenade to it.  Branches were everywhere:  on the roof, on the deck, on the ground, and inthe tops of other trees.  Thank God our house was still standing and my husband, brother-in-law, and son were safe.

   My husband said that the storm had hit quickly.  He and my son had just finished getting the yard cleaned up:  everything was ready for the open house when the wind became severe, and the sky grew black.  They went inside, but they were unable to see anything.  They believed that large hail stones were smacking against the deck and the windows, but it was really tree branches being ripped from their limbs.  The wind was so loud, they never even heard the poplar tree fall.

   I walked around the yard in disbelief.  I had heard of catastrophes like this on the radio; I had seen them on television, but one can never fully comprehend how another person feels until it happens to them.  I remember shaking my head over and over again; it just did not seem real.  Nevertheless, the evidence of the storm was laying on the ground right in front of me, and I wondered how we were ever going to get this mess cleaned up.  To say that we were overwhelmled was really an understatement because there were not words to describe the emotions that we were experiencing.

   My gorgeous, sunny day had turned into a nightmare of limbs, branches, leaves and debris throughout the front and back yards, and somehow we had to refocu our attention on tomorrow.  After much discussion, we chose to postpone the open house.  With no electricity, no running water, no way to prepare the food, it was going to be impossible for us to have the party.  I called family and friends to tell them of our decision, and everyone told us to have it at our church.  The Pastor and his wife even insisted.

   Saturday was another nasty day with high winds and rain, but with the help from others, we were able to get the church decorated and the food prepared.  I was not sure if today’s storm would hinder guests from showing up.  I wanted it to be a perfect day for my son, but I had no control over the weather.  People were slow in coming, but eventually, the Church was filled with family and friends celebrating the graduation of my son.  Sometimes, it is not easy to make last-minute decisons, and had we let the storm’s fury get in the way, we would have missed a very important, memorable day in the life of our son.

   Note:  A week later, a work crew from my church came over and helped clean up the overwhelming mess.  They completed in three hours, what would have taken us months.