Louisiana, recovering from her trip to Mississippi to help with relief efforts, tries to get caught up on some unanswered email. She writes to her friend in northernmost Alaska this time around after Sikik Eegeesiak has emailed her.
Monday, September 12, 2005, 10:25 a.m., C.D.T.~
Dear Sikik~
Hullo!~ Thank you so much for writing; it was so nice to hear from you again!
I am well, but I am also exhausted; I got back into town Saturday evening, and I slept as soon as my head hit the pillow; and I slept a good chunk of yesterday. I didn't get out of bed until three yesterday afternoon, and I got up long enough to get ready to go to the community-wide church service for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, plus observe the four-year anniversary of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. It was a very moving service, and there were many people there. I didn't get home until 11 last night, and I just got up only about an hour ago, and I am still trying to wake up. LOL
I am sorry you have been having problems with your balance and your vision. If I were you, I'd get that checked out as soon as possible. I will be praying for you, and I pray that it is nothing serious. Please keep me informed about this; I hate to hear of my friends being sick or unwell! I have been doing great since my back surgery, and I haven't had any pain, and it has been WONDERFUL! I am still not using my cane, and I am able to lift my kids and do my housework again; and it has been nothing short of a MIRACLE!
My kids are all doing great, and Janica is starting to fit in beautifully (but she is still on the shy side; her English is still quite limited, but she IS trying to learn new words every day, and she is starting to blossom like a little flower!). The other kids just love her, and she has loved them right back. We couldn't have asked for a better-mannered child than we have in Janica! Ronee' is just about recovered from her hip replacement surgery, and she is back to doing the things she loved doing prior to the surgery, and she is very happy. She is singing again, and she sang last night at the church community service, and she did a very wonderful job! Johnny is doing well, but we are still waiting for that other shoe to drop, and every day we pray to God to get him through one more day and to keep his muscular dystrophy from getting worse. It is like we are living with a time-bomb, and we are so worried about his future! But he is doing well at school, and he is enjoying his new role as junior high student! I just hope the kids don't give him a hard time; he has been through so much already in his short life, and he does NOT need to be ostracized or teased! He is such a sensitive young man, and he always has been!
I am still trying to get the images I saw in Mississippi from my mind, but that is next to impossible. I saw so much in the way of desperation and heartbreak, and I saw so many people in need; and it just broke my heart! I wish I could do more to help those dear people in Mississippi and Louisiana, and I wish I could take some of them into my home! I would be more than happy to; in fact, I am going to be calling for assistance in getting a woman I met down in Mississippi to stay with us for a while until she is back on her feet. She is currently in the hospital here (Nashville Memorial, the hospital I work at), and she is recovering from dehydration, infected cuts and bruises, and a raging case of pneumonia. She lived in Biloxi, Mississippi, and she was found a week after Katrina had hit in terrible shape; twice on the flight to Nashville she "coded", and we had to work hard to try to bring her back, which we ultimately did. Now she is in a different state, stuck inside a hospital, and she is scared as to what will happen to her. So I have been thinking of letting her stay with us for a while until she is back on her feet and can start over. She seems to be nice, but I am sure that she is devastated at the situation she is facing. She had a very good job before Katrina hit, and she wasn't able to get out because of traffic (she did try to leave once, but was forced to come back after the traffic situation), and so she rode out Hurricane Katrina in her house--only to have it fall in around--and on--her. She was found in the rubble by some relief workers who heard her cough, and she was then brought to the shelter where I was at, and we, more or less, tried to nurse her back to health. Her name is Shaniqua Nakaya Williams, and she is in her mid-forties. If she has family in Mississippi or Louisiana, we have no idea of knowing; all we can do now for her is to help her get over her illness and injuries, and help her get back on her feet once she DOES get discharged from the hospital. So we will have another "family member" to add to our family. *Sighhhh* A woman's work is never done....
I also have been living with the memory of September 11, 2001, and I find that next to impossible, because I had friends who lost loved ones or friends in the attack, and the images of the World Trade Centers being bombed and then collapsing into rubble still play heavily on my mind; and I still grieve for all those lives lost in the attacks. I still can't understand the motive behind the attacks, and I still find myself grappling with trying to forgive the perpetrators' hatred towards America and Americans. I just feel sorry for them, and I pray that God can change their minds/hearts before it is too late. After all, as it says in the Bible, "With God, ALL things are possible!" He changed ME and my heart; I am sure that he can change those terrorists' hearts if they only hear the message and learn to repent and call on Him!! I still can't look at the skyline of NYC without crying, and I sure do miss the Towers standing tall in the harbor! I have been to the World Trade Centers, and they were an amazing sight both inside and outside! New York City just doesn't look the same without the towers there; it just looks so---empty!
Well, I have to get some laundry started (plus Arjun is waking up from his nap; I hear him crying), so I will have to go now. I will write again when you write back; I am glad that you are doing better, but if you ever need to talk or vent, I will be here for you. I will be praying for you, and I hope that your brothers and sisters come by to see you more often. I know loneliness can be extremely hard to live with! But with my brood, I have NO time to be lonely!~ LOL I would give ANYTHING to feel loneliness again at times; our house is CHAOS at best!! LOL The ONLY time I EVER get ANY relief is when the baby (Arjun) is down for his nap or when the kids are at school or are in their beds for the night! LOL
Take care, Sikik, and God bless you always! I hope to hear from you soon!
(((HUGS))) and much love, your friend in Tennessee, Louie May. :)
((((Karen))))
An excellent write, I have missed you and Karla greatly, pray for our family and you should be expecting me back soon.
God Bless
Michelle!
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Monday, September 12, 2005, 10:25 a.m., C.D.T.~
