In all the years we owned a place in SW Florida, I couldn't help but note the harm a potential hurricane could inflict upon the cute, brightly painted buildings. At times, I saw evidence of powerful storms on the shoreline; this mom was aware of our relative isolation from the mainland. But the causeway merely existed. One feels vulnerable driving across a causeway. However, we don't realize that the road's existence is as precarious as ours.
For over a decade, our family escaped to the Barrier Islands. Our place on Captiva provided many cherished memories. We chose it because it was far from everyone and everything, easy to get to, and relatively safe. There, we could just be. There, more than in most inhabited places, nature was allowed to just be.
Unable to express the gratefulness of past experiences and sorrow at current loss, I'm sharing a few pictures of the causeway devastation, figuratively juxtaposed alongside our memories.
Our family is praying for the beloved community we were honored to be a part of for a few visits each year. Someday, we will return to pay our respects to the memories, Mother Nature, and God.
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